Upper Austria issues more than 6,000 Eurokeys

More than 6,000 Eurokeys have been issued in Upper Austria over the past five years, ORF reported. The special key gives people with disabilities access to accessible toilets and lift facilities in public spaces, although the system is not yet known to everyone who could use it.

At some roadside rest areas, a separate key is required to use an accessible toilet. On newly refurbished rest areas operated by motorway operator ASFINAG, the toilets can be opened with a Eurokey. ASFINAG says this ensures that the facilities are used only by authorised people.

The Eurokey is also used beyond roadside rest areas. According to the Austrian Disability Council, eligible people in Upper Austria can use it to open more than 370 public toilets and lift facilities.

“The idea of the Eurokey was and is to enable people with disabilities to participate in society on an equal footing,” said Klaus Widl, president of the Austrian Disability Council.

Institutions including the Upper Austrian State Library in Linz also use the system. The library has recently invested in improving accessibility, allowing people with disabilities to use its toilet with a Eurokey.

Eligible people must apply for the key through the Austrian Disability Council’s website. It is not issued automatically with a disability pass, and eligibility depends on the type of disability. The council said, for example, that deaf or severely hard-of-hearing people may receive a disability pass but not qualify for a Eurokey if they can use a standard toilet.

The system is still not familiar to everyone who is eligible. At a motorway rest area in Spital am Pyhrn in the Kirchdorf district, one person initially did not understand why the accessible toilet door was locked. The Disability Council expects the number of users to continue rising as more people learn about the service through everyday notices and media reports.