Our report, released today, shows that the EU is not sufficiently meeting its international commitment to advance the rights of persons with disabilities.
The report was submitted to a group of UN experts who are slated to review the European Union’s approach to fulfilling the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. The review will take place on 11-12 March at the United Nations in Geneva.
The European Union has ratified the Convention as a “regional integration organisation”, meaning EU Institutions must implement the Convention to the full extent of their competencies.
However, the report shows that EU Institutions are not doing enough to improve the lives of persons with disabilities.
Representative organisations highlight key concerns, such as:
- No “disability-fit” check is done to guarantee that proposed or existing laws and policies comply with the Convention.
- No comprehensive EU anti-discrimination legislation. The Commission dealt a further blow to it by proposing to withdraw a projected law this year.
- The exclusion of the specific rights and needs of women and girls with disabilities from EU gender equality laws.
- Insufficient legislation on access to assistive technologies, and on access to information in accessible formats.
- Lack of consideration of persons with disabilities in plans for disaster-risk reduction and preparedness.
- The laws on freedom of movement exclude persons with disabilities, especially as they cannot transfer their allowances or their support services.
- The persistent use of EU funds to finance segregating institutions where persons with disabilities suffer human rights violations and abuse.
- The EU electoral law still allows for the denial of the right to vote for persons with disabilities.
- The EU’s development and humanitarian action programmes often exclude persons with disabilities.
The report explains that these shortcomings result from a lack of political leadership to implement and monitor the Convention in the EU. The EU has not established a specific body to ensure its policies are aligned with the Convention. This “piecemeal” approach dilutes responsibility.
The report also finds that EU Institutions don’t do enough to guarantee the rights of staff and visitors with disabilities. EU Institutions lack a comprehensive reasonable accommodation policy and do not sufficiently make their physical premises or digital presence accessible. Staff sickness insurance has little or no consideration for disability.
The report paints a stark picture of a Union that still has much to do. The second phase of the EU Disability Rights Strategy must implement bold proposals to fix it.
Yannis Vardakastanis, President of the European Disability Forum, said:
“Despite some advances, the EU doesn’t have a coherent approach to guarantee our rights, and that is leaving 100 million people unprotected against discrimination and abuses. This review must be a wakeup call to the EU Institutions: get organised and present a strong plan to actually improve our lives.”
Additional Information
Contacts
André Félix
Communications Manager – European Disability Forum
The European Disability Forum is an umbrella organisation of persons with disabilities that defends the interests of 100 million Europeans with disabilities. EDF is a unique platform that brings together representative organisations of persons with disabilities across Europe. It is run by persons with disabilities and their families. EDF is a strong, united voice of persons with disabilities in Europe.