Notes for the Disabled in Poitou-Charentes

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Notes for the Disabled in Poitou-Charentes

Note: Most of this information for the disabled takes you to services in French only.

Information for the disabled regarding living in the region is available from the local Centre communal d'action sociale/CCAS, at the local Mairie, or Commission technique d'orientation et de reclassement professionnel/COTOREP. The CCAS is an organisation that provides practical assistance and social interaction for elderly and disabled people. It also has specialised vehicles for people with reduced mobility. COTOREP is a governmental agency responsible for the recognition of disabled status.  Enquire at the Mairie for the nearest offices. 

For visitors to the region, local tourism offices may have information on accessible facilities for the disabled.

• For contact information for local tourism offices, see The AngloFILE: Click here

General Information and Helpful Links

Most large towns have a pharmacy or medical supplier for purchase or rental of equipment for the disabled and elderly: wheelchairs (fauteuils-roulants, manuel/électrique), mini-lifts, walkers and general orthopedic equipment. Look in the Pages Jaunes (French yellow pages) under the heading "Handicapées: matériel et services pour".

A Handicapped Person's Priority Card (Carte de Priorité Pour Personne Handicapée) is available to those deemed by the French government to be at least 80 percent disabled. The card is used to obtain priority queuing and seating on public transport and in waiting rooms, schools and public events. 

To obtain a Handicapped Person's Priority Card, the following must be presented at the Maison départementale des personnes handicapée (Departmental Disabled Persons Office /MDPH):

• Forms Cerfa 12689*01 and 12692*01: Click here and here for PDF versions of the forms (in French)
• a medical certificate from a doctor specifying the disability
• identification and at least one photocopy
• a valid residence permit and at least one photocopy (if applicable)
• a recent passport photograph

There are several MDPH offices in Poitou-Charentes. 

• To find the nearest MDPH office: Click here

Utilities

• For information on Solutions Handicap: Click here (in French)

National French Associations for the Disabled and Mobility Reduced

• Handicap.fr: French website with general information, articles, resources and legal information on a number of sub-domaines:

  • Aides Techniques: searchable database (in French) to to find suppliers of technical aids such as adapted vehicles, clothing, home aids and much more

  • Emploi: job search website for disabled job seekers and employers offering work to disabled people in France 

• Handicap.Gouv: French government website with full details of practical, legal and social relevance to the disabled resident of France

• Comité National Français de Liaison pour la Réadaptation des Handicapés (The French National Liason Committee for the Readaptation of the Handicapped/CNFLRH)
  At: rue de Tolbiac 236 bis, 75013 Paris 
  Tel: 01 53 80 66 66

• Association des Paralysés de France: French website with news, information and advise for people living with paralysis in France.

• Autisme France: National association helping autistic people and their families

Leisure Time and Entertainment

Libraries

Calibre Audio Books is a UK charity that 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 Audio Books
  Tel: + 44 1296 432339
  Fax: + 44 1296 392599
  e-mail 
  Website

The English Language Library for the Blind in Paris provides books on tape in English to English-speakers all over the world by post. The selection of available audio books is quite large.

• English Language Library for the Blind
  At: 35 rue Lemercier, 75017 Paris
  Tel: 01 42 93 47 57

Sports

Fédération  Française Handisport is a French organisation that provides information on national and international disabled sporting activities and events.

• Fédération  Française Handisport 
  At: 42 rue Louis Lumiére, 75020 Paris
  Website
  e-mail

The Ecole de Ski Française offers skiing lessons for the disabled in over 50 of its skiing schools. Individual and group classes are available for the deaf, blind and those with reduced mobility.

• To find a ski school offering handiski lessons: Click here

Tourism

Travel and tourism information for the disabled is available from the Association Tourisme & Handicaps

• Association Tourisme & Handicaps
  Tel: 01 44 11 10 41
  e-mail
  Website

Disabled Transportation and Travel

Ulysse

Ulysse Transport provides transport service catering specifically to helping those with mobility problems. It also caters to transporting the elderly and infirm, the polyhandicapped, the blind, and disabled children to and from school. English-language service is not guaranteed.

• For the Ulysse Transport website: Click here

• Ulysse Transport - La Rochelle
  At: rue Robert Geffre, ZA des Rivauds, 17000 Laleu
  Tel: 05 46 00 32 72 / 06 61 76 01 02
  e-mail

• Ulysse Transport - Niort/Deux-Sevres
  Tel: 06 61 76 01 02
  e-mail

• Ulysse Transport - Poitiers
  At: 17 rue Albin Haller, 86000 Poitiers
  Tel: 05 49 46 60 41
  Fax: 05 49 46 60 41
  e-mail

Parking

Cars parked in disabled spaces must display the GIG - GIC disabled sticker or an EU blue badge in the window. 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 France from another EU country may want to apply in their home country for this universal badge which allows the use of reserved parking. 

It is recommended to check locally at the town hall (hotel de ville) or with the municipal police (police municipal) for disabled parking regulations.

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 on roads where parking is not allowed
• Parking on roads is generally not free of charge for disabled drivers (except in Paris and a few other cities)
• In many areas, disabled drivers may park without time restrictions on roads where parking is free but has parking time limits

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):

• For further information on disabled parking in Europe see the Focus on Disability website: Click here

Related Information

• See the AngloINFO INFOrmation Page on Qualifying for French Disability Benefits

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