Fundamental Rights Section On December 7, 2006, ÖBB (Österreichische Bundesbahnen - Austrian Federal Railways) submitted a phased plan to be drawn up pursuant to Sect. 19 para. 10 BundesBehindertengleichstellungsgesetz (Federal Act on Equal Treatment of Disabled Persons), which determines the barrier-free design of the infrastructure and sets clear targets. As a second step, barriers, which people who are reduced in their mobility are still facing, will be removed in local and long-distance transport, intercity buses operated by Postbus AG, in stations and on the homepage of ÖBB in 3-year steps until 2015. The newly adopted Bundes-Behindertengleichstellungsgesetz (Federal Act on Equal Treatment of Disabled Persons) contains the obligation to make all trains barrier-free accessible until 2016. Against this background and in view of the right of people with a disability of health to equally and independently participate in all spheres of life, as laid down by Art. 7 para. 1 B-VG (Bundesverfassungsgesetz - Austrian Federal Constitution), which is formulated as a 'Staatszielbestimmung' (a provision defining the pertinent aims of the State), the Ombudsman Board calls for a fast implementation of barrier-free access and participation in public transport for people with disabilities. 3.3.4 Ticket-vending machines of ÖBB (Austrian Federal Railways) – Modernisation at the expense of older and disabled persons (VA BD/29-V/06) In many train stations in Austria, tickets can only be bought from ticket-vending machines before the journey. Mr. N.N.'s vision is substantially impaired. He has great difficulties in buying tickets from ticket-vending machines. He cannot buy tickets unassisted. If no other passenger helps him/her, he/she is forced to travel without a valid ticket and to pay the higher fare. Mr. N.N. and many other old people turned with this problem also to the Ombudsman Board. The technical environment of today goes beyond the capabilities of elderly people. In addition, ticket-vending machines are sometimes not equally accessible for everyone (e.g. people whose vision is impaired, wheelchair users, people with learning disabilities etc.). The Ombudsman Board turned to ÖBB (Austrian Federal Railways) to achieve an improvement also for persons who are having difficulties to cope with modernisation. The Ombudsman Board rightly considers that for economic reasons it is inappropriate to use staff in all ÖBB stations who are responsible for the advance sale of tickets. Therefore the Ombudsman Board agreed with the proposal of the Kriegsopfer- und Behindertenverband (Association of War Victims and Disabled Persons) to expand existing distribution channels and to sell 88