Notes for the Disabled in the Netherlands

According to Article 1 of the Dutch Constitution, discrimination on any grounds is prohibited in the Netherlands. The Act on Equal Treatment of Disabled and Chronically Ill People, managed by the CG-Raad, came into effect on 1 December 2003. This law gives disabled people the right to the adaptations necessary to enable them to participate fully in society.

• Information on the Legal Regulation of Equal Treatment: Click here (PDF)
• Information from the Ministry of Health, Welfare & Sport: Click here

Benefits for Disabled People

The majority of care facilities and services for the disabled are funded through the public health insurance, on the Exceptional Medical Expenses Act (AWBZ), which provides entitlement to expensive long-term health care.

Care, support and treatment are provided to people with mental disability, psychological problems, epilepsy and those with non-congenital brain damage.

The Domiciliary Care Institutions (there are about 142 of these in the Netherlands) are able to provide additional care and assistance to people with a physical or mental disability who are living independently or with their parents or carers.

The Act on Facilities for the Disabled allows the disabled to apply for various adaptations to their houses or means of transportation. 

The Disablement Benefits Act (WAO) and the Self-Employed Persons Disablement Benefits Act (WAZ) provide special benefits to employees and self-employed people who became disabled.

The Disability Reintegration Act (REA) provides for disabled people needing help to re-enter the job market.

Disabled Children

Apart from child benefits, a specific allowance is provided to parents who wish to keep a disabled child at home. The child must be between 3 and 17 years of age and in need of constant care and supervision resulting from one or more mental or physical disorder.

Above the age of 18, a child may claim a specific benefit, in accordance with the Disablement Assistance Act for Handicapped Young Persons (WAJONG), the amount allowed depending on the degree of disability.

Disabled Travel & Transport in the Netherlands

Over the past years much effort has been made to improve accessibility: access to trams and buses has been improved, ramps are now present on roads. However, in older cities such as the capital Amsterdam access for people using a wheelchair is still complicated. Most museums, government buildings and train facilities have been modified. 

A local district office can supply information on adapted transport for its area.

Driving and the disabled

Disabled drivers in the Netherlands of vehicles with more than two wheels, who have a valid disabled parking badge, are exempt from the following parking restrictions

• Parking in a parking disk zone
• Parking on a single unbroken yellow line
• Parking under a sign E1
• Parking in a recreation area

In all these cases the person must clearly display a parking disk or badge in the parked vehicle.

Parking badges for the disabled that are issued by competent authorities outside of the Netherlands are considered to be the equivalent of Dutch disabled parking badges.

The blue badge is a standardised European Community disabled person's parking permit which provides parking entitlements to badge holders in all complying European countries - a blue badge from one country is valid in another. A person coming to the the Netherlands from an EU country can apply in their home country for this universal badge which allows the use of reserved parking.

Things to keep in mind:

• Disabled spaces in car parks reserved for disabled people are marked with a wheelchair symbol
• Do not park in pedestrian zones or spaces marked with a person's name or vehicle registration number
• Disabled drivers may park for an unlimited duration on streets where parking is free but limited by time restrictions
• When no other options are available, disabled drivers may park for up to 3 hours on streets where parking is prohibited as long as the roadway is not obstructed
• Full details from the ECMT (European Conference of Ministers of Transport): Click here

Drivers with a blue badge from another European country may display this translation beside a badge written in another language (text from the UK Automobile Association):

Mobile phones: The use of mobile phones whilst driving is forbidden for all drivers in the Netherlands, this also applies to persons driving an invalid carriage.

Trains

The Dutch Railways (Nederlandse Spoorwegen - NS) provides for physically disabled and wheelchair bound, hearing and sight impaired passengers at most stations. Special facilities include removable bridges for wheelchairs, guidelines for the visually impaired and plug-in sockets for hearing aids at ticket counters (the connecting cord is not supplied; the hearing aid user must buy their own).

• The NS website has comprehensive information in English on facilities and services: Click here (refer to the menu on the left side for more)

Train schedules are available to hearing and sight impaired people in spoken text, Braille and digitally; the website accommodates digital Braille readers.

• Sight impaired: information on schedules Tel: 0486 486 486
• Hearing impaired: information on schedules Tel: 0900 555 9292 

Trains are accessible to most wheelchairs, although some restrictions are applied to width and weight. Fuel-based motor vehicles are excluded from trains, but special scooters may be sometimes allowed depending on the time of day and number of people travelling.

When required, special assistance can be pre-booked on trains. Book at least three hours before the journey by calling the Disabled Assistance Office (Bureau Assistentieverlening Gehandicapten). A time and place to meet will be arranged.

• Bureau Assistentieverlening Gehandicapten
  Tel: 030 235 7822
  Fax: 030 235 39 35
  Open daily: 07:00-23:00 (from 08:00 on public holidays)

People regularly travelling with a carer may apply to the NS for a Public Transport Assistant Pass (OV-Begeleiderskaart) which allows free transport for the carer. This pass is given in the name of the disabled person so the carer can be a different person for each journey. Please note that travelling with a carer and holding an OV pass will reduce access to NS assistance services.

People travelling with a seeing-eye dog in trains, train-taxis or other forms of public transport do not pay any supplement.

For assistance at railway stations contact the NS:

• Nederlandse Spoorwegen NS
  Tel: 030 235 7822
  Website

Buses and vans

Adapted buses and vans can be booked in advance in most local areas. For transport between regions which are not covered by train, there is a system called Valys.

• Valys
  Tel: 0900 9630
  Website (Dutch)
• Information from the NS: Click here

For information on collective transport on demand (Collectief Vraagafhankelijk Vervoer) contact by text-telephone:

• Tel: 0900 555 9292

Schiphol airport

For general assistance at Schiphol Airport, call the free service:

• Schiphol Airport
  Tel: 020 316 1417
  Website
• Information on facilities and services for the disabled: Click here

Car park at Schiphol: Special parking places are available at the P1, P2 and P3 car parks of Schiphol airport, indicated by the international symbol for the disabled. 

A bus adapted for wheelchair users operates upon request between the car park P3 and the airport. The request must be made at least 24 hours in advance, by calling the IAC (Intergom Airport Caddy) Schiphol Service.

• Tel: 020 316 4041/2

Wheelchair services: Free wheelchairs are available at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport for those who have difficulties walking within the airport. Yellow Schiphol wheelchairs, located at the Schiphol Plaza and car parks P1 and P2, are available for visitors. A two-euro coin is needed (which is returned when the chair is returned). 

There is a lift at the Schiphol Railway Station to take disabled passengers from the platform to the airport and vice versa.

A text telephone is available for deaf or impaired hearing passengers. A hearing loop is available at the information desks, transfer desks and in the waiting areas in Lounge Central.

Accessibility

• Handy-Wijzer is a website providing information on products (disability equipment), manufacturers, distributors and dealers. Also includes details of legislation covering the provision of equipment and a classification (in Dutch)
• KBOH is an independent information and expertise centre for disability equipment, carrying out testing on products with respect to their quality, functionality and effectiveness (in Dutch with an English summary)
• Grootveld is a very informative site developed by engineer Grootveld, father of two disabled children. It contains information about living, camping, transport, computers and more

Accessibility of buildings

• Advisory service for accessible building (BAT)
  BAT provides advice and publishes guidelines on the accessibility of buildings, pavements, playgrounds, and other public spaces. Information can be downloaded from the website (in Dutch)

Accessibility of computer use

• Bartimeus provides information for blind and visually impaired persons on accessible computer use (in Dutch with some English pages)
• ICT (in Dutch) is a national, independent centre. It collects knowledge and expertise concerning information and communication technology (ICT) for disabled people. It also develops and distributes its expertise

Leisure

• The Staatsbosbeheer website shows nature reserves accessible for wheelchair users, together with a list of facilities present in that nature reserve (in Dutch)
• Dinnersite lists wheelchair-accessible restaurants in the Netherlands, listed by province and place name. The site shows which establishments are wheelchair accessible and whether the toilets are likewise accessible. Additional information on parking facilities and public transport (in Dutch and English)
• Rolstoelweb (wheelchair web) contains information on wheelchair accessible fun parks, zoos and other attractions in the Netherlands (in Dutch)
• Procrustes is a site aimed at preventing disabled travellers from going to hotels world-wide that are not suited to their physical situation (in Dutch only)
• The Foundation for travelling for physically disabled people organises trips to far away countries
• Picture Holidays will search for holiday destinations and accommodation for disabled people
• De Zeeland is a specially adapted sailing ship for wheelchair users or people with a scoot mobile. Family, friends or relatives of the disabled are also allowed to join the sailing trip

Other associations

Calibre Audio Books: UK charity, Calibre, supplies audio books in English on cassette or disk to visually impaired and disabled people. The free service is available to members (registration can be made via the website). Free postal service is available to anywhere in Europe. 

• Calibre
  Tel: + 44 1296 432339
  Fax: + 44 1296 392599
  e-mail 
  Website

Useful Information and Links

• ANGO (National Organisation for the Disabled)
  Tel: 033 465 4343
  Fax: 033 465 4353
  e-mail
  Website  (Dutch with summary in English)
  ANGO also have a website (in Dutch) containing information for the chronically ill or disabled
• Advice Line for the Visually Impaired
  Tel: 030 294 5444
• Association for the Deaf and Blind
  Tel: 034 344 2744
  Text-phone: 034 344 3232
  Website (in Dutch)
• Autism Association for Overseas Families (AAOF)
  At: Berglustlaan 15-B, 3054 BA Rotterdam
  e-mail
  Website 
• Disability Council of the Netherlands (CG-Raad)
• Tel: 030 297 0404
  Text-phone: 030 291 6600
  Open: 09:00–13:00 Monday to Thursday, 09:00–12:00 Friday
  e-mail
  Website (in Dutch)
• National Bureau for Accessibility (Landelijk Bureau Toegankelijheid)
  At: Bisonspoor 6006, 3605 LW Maarssen
  Tel: 034 659 0115
  Fax: 034 657 4532
  Website (in Dutch)
• MEE: organisation for handicapped people
  Tel: 0900 999 8888
  Website (in Dutch)
• Nederlandse Spoorwegen (Dutch Railways) - to book assistance on trains
  Tel: 030 235 7822 or 0900 1462
  Fax: 030 235 3935
• Text telephone for general transport information
  Tel: 0900 555 9292
  Website (in Dutch)
• Valys - regional assisted transport
  Tel: 0900 9630
  Website (in Dutch)