MEPs back human rights for disabled

If the convention is adopted into EU law it would give disabled people rights in areas like education, employment and transport.

UN Convention still unratified

At a hearing on the issue held by the Human Rights Sub-Committee the Chair, Finnish Green Heidi Hautala regretted the reluctance of several EU member states to ratify the UN Convention on Rights of Persons with Disabilities. 

Parliament passed the Convention in April last year and called on governments to ratify it. In the Parliament there is cross-party group of MEPs from different nationalities and political stripes to promote disability issues.

Disabled and their NGOs must participate

Speaking at the Hearing Erzsébet Szöllősi, Vice President of the European Disability Forum, stressed the importance of “the participation of people with disabilities (and groups that represent them) in the implementation of the Convention and the involvement of civil society”.

The EU is already engaged in extending rights to disabled people in transport, telecom services and education through the European Disability Strategy (2004-2010) and through the Disability Action Plans.

Forrás: www.europarl.europa.eu