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Geschreven: maandag 22 augustus 2011 19:21

Letter from Professor Olle Johansson
Karolinska Institute Stockholm Sweden. August 22, 2011

When I see the pictures of French EHS people having to go on hunger strike, just to get heard, respected and supported, then I get a feeling of another Europe, far away from democracy, and liberté, égalité & fraternité.

In Sweden, electrohypersensitivity (EHS) is an officially fully recognized functional impairment (i.e., it is not regarded as a disease, thus no diagnosis* exists). Survey studies show that somewhere between 230,000 – 290,000 Swedish men and women - out of a population of 9,000,000 - report a variety of symtoms when being in contact with electromagnetic field (EMF) sources (The National Board of Health and Welfare).
EHS people have their own handicap organization, The Swedish Association for the Electrohypersensitive; http://www.feb.se. This organization is included in The Swedish Disability Federation (HSO); http://www.hso.se.
FEB receives an annual governmental monetary aid as a handicap organization.

[*It’s symptoms, such as headache, stress, sleep disorders, fatique, skin conditions, heart palpitations, and tinnitus, are classified as an occupationally-related symptom-based diagnosis (code ICD-10) by the Nordic Council of Ministers since 2000.]

An impairment is - by definition - not defined by someone else or proven by certain tests, recognised by a country, etc. The impairment is always personal (private) and develops when in contact with an inferior environment. The key for society is to provide full accessability, for instance by shielding the environment from electromagnetic fields, something that successfully has been used in Sweden.

[N.B. Remember that functional impairments are only based upon each individual's impaired accessability to - and contact with - an inferior environment (cf. the UN), thus, there is actually no need for any "recognition" in local laws (cf. the UN). In Sweden, the former Minister of Health and Social Affairs, Lars Engqvist -  as a member of the previous government - anyhow gave his "approval" in a letter dated May, 2000.

He alsomade it clear in his response that for EHS persons there are no restrictions or exceptions in the handicap laws and regulations. Thus, these laws and regulations are to be fully applied also for EHS persons.]

Treating members of the community equally is not something that should be done as a favour; nor is it something that any parliament or government should politely request other inhabitants to provide others with. Equality is not something to be done “out of the goodness of one’s heart”.  It is something one does because it is expected of every citizen, because inaccessibility and discrimination are prohibited by law. Thus, it is not alright to deliberately make your symptoms worse. The electrically hypersensitive must therefore, in every situation and by all available means, demand respect¸ representation and power. They shall very clearly reject all approaches which reflect a mentality of “feeling pity for them” or “caring for them”.

Inaccessibility is not a personal problem. It is a problem for society. Inaccessibility is not about attitudes. It is about discrimination. And discriminatory actions and conduct shall not be dealt with by well-meaning talk about treatment. Discrimination is already illegal!

This view can fully be motivated in relation to national and international handicap laws and regulations, including the UN 22 Standard Rules/UN Convention and the Swedish Action Plan for Persons with Impairments (prop. 1999/2000:79 “Den nationella handlingplanen för handikappolitiken – Från patient till medborgare”). Also, the Human Rights Act in the EU fully applies.

At times, the view taken of the electrically hypersensitive has resembled a medical pogrom with frightening overtones. Even more frightening is that the situation today, is and is allowed to be much the same. The entire public debate has been characterised by grand words, commitments and far-reaching promises, which have often been shown to lack the necessary effect. This nonchalance and lack of commitment has per se been particularly insulting. Is all this something that we should be proud about? How much simpler, cheaper and more creditable it would have been to have provided the electrically hypersensitive immediately with the assistance and solidarity that we like to boast about. An immediate decision on a housing adaptation grant, disability allowance, etc.. would have been self-evident. Now we have instead endured almost 30 years of hostilities with big losers, namely the electrically hypersensitive and their next-of-kin.

Finally, remember that everyone must adhere to and follow all the handicap laws and regulations. To do the opposite is a serious violation and should immediately be reported/filed as an official legal complaint to your local authorities, parliament, government, the EU and the UN. This is of particular importance since Katri Linna, the Swedish Diskrimineringsombudsman (=the Equality Ombudsman), clearly states in the newspaper Sydsvenskan (January 23-26, 2009) that “electrohypersensitivity is – according to the law – a functional impairment and I recommend EHS persons that are discriminated to file a complaint”.

I wish you all GOOD LUCK!!

With my very best regards
Yours sincerely
Olle Johansson
assoc. prof.
The Experimental Dermatology Unit Department of Neuroscience
Karolinska Institute
171 77 Stockholm
Sweden
 

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