The resolution based on the report calling on the European Commission and the EU Council to fully implement the UN’s recommendations on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities adopted last week by the European Parliament’s plenary debate in Strasbourg ( read here our article) has been met with with mixed reactons. Here below the vocies of some stakeholders.
The European Disability Forum «welcomes the adoption of this resolution and praises the fact that persons with disabilities through their representative organisations were actively involved throughout the whole process of the European Parliament’s report . This was a very good application of Article 4.3 of the CRPD (Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities) foreseeing that persons with disabilities through their representative organisations should be closely consulted and actively involved in the development and implementation of legislation and policies to implement the CRPD. Accessible hearings for consultation with organisations of persons with disabilities were organised allowing persons with disabilities to participate and share their views».
The last years have been difficult for persons with disabilities in Europe, with austerity, unemployment and poverty increasing for women and men with disabilities. This report describes the pathway by which the European Institutions can act to ensure that the rights of persons with disabilities will be protected. We are looking forward to continuing our cooperation with the European Parliament so that we can make the recommendations of this report a reality.
EUD (European union of the deaf ) «We very much welcome the adoption and the strong backing of this resolution and report by the European Parliament which shows that promoting the rights of persons with disabilities is a value widely shared within the European Parliament and demonstrates its dedication to work towards a more inclusive Europe for persons with disabilities. This dedication is further highlighted by the fact that a very high number of parliamentary committees provided input to the report. This shows the importance of mainstreaming disability across all policy areas. Additionally, the text was drawn including the suggestions from disability organisations across Europe, including EUD, and thus respected the principle of participation of persons with disabilities and their organisations at all stages, as put forward by the UNCRPD.
The valuable recommendations made in the report will feed into the mid-term review of the European Disability Strategy 2010-2020, which is currently undertaken by the European Commission as well as further policy processes».
Dominik Drdul (18) is one of five members of the newly created IF Youth Group did not share the same enthusiasm: «Ten years after the adoption of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities by the UN, we, the young people with disabilities, remain invisible, marginalized and left out from the public eye. We are discriminated against in almost all aspects of life – from access to good quality healthcare, to inclusive education, to participation in decision-making. Our opportunities have shrunk even more as the financial crisis has hit Europe. If the European Union is serious about delivering its obligations under the UN Convention, it must start taking young people with disabilities seriously, as there can be no talk about inclusion as long as many of us remain excluded».
Cover photo: KAREN BLEIER/AFP/Getty Images
