Whether or not you're enjoying the EU referendum campaign, at least it provides us with an opportunity to reflect on how we see ourselves and assess what we value: Identity, democracy, solidarity, or the funds in your bank account.

And while many commentators have been focused on immigration and the economy, the debate also provides the chance to examine what membership of the European Union offers disabled people.

In some ways, Britain has been the European leader on disabled people's rights. It was John Major's Conservative government which, somewhat reluctantly, introduced the Disability Discrimination Act (1995), following the backlash against then minister for the disabled Nicolas Scott, who filibustered the Civil Rights (Disabled Persons) Bill a year earlier.

The legislation, and subsequent amendments, was a significant moment in the history of disability rights. The Act has reverberated across Europe, and -- despite moving at a snail's pace -- we've seen the removal of some barriers to employment and access to premises, goods and services.

This process has worked both ways, however. Following the EU's Employment Equality Directive in 2004, the DDA was extended to make it unlawful for companies with fewer than 20 employees to discriminate against disabled people, as the original Act exempted small businesses.

In 2004 I was fortunate enough to spend 3 months travelling across Europe, weaving in and out of EU member states, in one of those post-university-life-procrastination trips. During my adventures I was dutifully taking notes for a future Lonely Planet contribution on the barriers intrepid disabled travellers face on the continent.

As I scanned through those notes for this piece, it's safe to say that back then the pavements of central Paris and Amsterdam could not have been more different to the assault courses that lay in Bucharest or Budapest.

City breaks, stag weekends and short holidays in my 12 years since have allowed me to retrace some of those steps. Of course, disabled people across Europe still face numerous barriers. Nonetheless, the progress since my 2004 trip has been remarkable: On my more recent travels I've observed accessible trams in Krakow, dropped kerbs in Dubrovnik, and audio indicators for people with visual impairments in Budapest.

Britain can be a force for good within the EU. With their eyes on a third term, Tony Blair's Labour government recognised the limitations of the Disability Discrimination Act, and committed to reintroducing the Equality Bill -- which eventually became the Equality Act 2010 as we know it today.

During this time, the UK's role within the EU was vital in building support at the United Nations for international agreement on the creation of the Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities (UNCRPD). The UNCRPD was the first human rights convention ever signed by the EU, and the UK's role inside the EU was vital in gaining the requisite consensus.

But times change. With a UK Tory government obsessed with austerity and the rise of right-wing economics across the EU, disabled people across the Continent are now relying on Europe-wide legislation to protect their hard-won rights. Without those protections, some would struggle to survive. As the UN criticises EU member states for their poor implementation of the CRPD, it's only a matter of time before the European Union will have to step in and raise its game.

If the UK exits the European Union, just how long is the cobbled path to "sovereignty" under the current bunch of Tory reactionaries? Victory for the right-wing Brexit campaign will surely exile the Human Rights Act to the dustbin.

Do we really expect a Union Jack swathed British Bill of Rights to protect disabled people's rights to anything like the same extent? Or will the bonfire of "regulations" promised by the Brexiteers simply make it easier for public bodies and employers to sideline and bypass the rights of disabled people?

Will the European Convention on Human Rights be next to undergo an M&C Saatchi rebrand at the behest of Tory tag-team champions Gove and BoJo? It underpins the rights of disabled people in bedroom tax cases. It wasn't that long ago that the ECHR decided the human rights of one disabled woman had been breached due to Tory austerity measures.

Overall, the European Union has been positive for disabled people: Packaging of medicines must now include labelling in Braille; disabled drivers are reassured that their parking badges are recognised across the EU; disabled people have the right to free assistance on board aircraft and within airports when flying from or within the EU.

Looking forward, the European Accessibility Act will enhance standards and remove further barriers in areas such as e-commerce, smartphones, ATMs and transport services. New proposals could lead to publicly funded research being made freely available, enabling all scientists to utilise the latest data when creating new treatments.

Every day, disabled people in Scotland, the rest of the UK and across Europe fight to tear down the barriers that impede a fair, equal and dignified life. For me, it comes down to trust.

When those advocating an EU exit are the same people who have spearheaded the recent Tory assault on benefits and services for disabled people, it rather begs a question: Can they be trusted to replicate every piece of progressive legislation that our 43-year EU membership has produced?

For me the answer is clear.

I'd rather remain in.

Comment by Jamie Szymkowiak, an SNP activist and adviser. He also heads One in Five, the campaign to increase the representation of disabled people in political life.