Political rights of people with disabilities in the focus of a conference organized by the European Commission and the European Disability Forum
The federal government has still not initiated a structured process to implement the United Nations’ recommendations. How long should people with disabilities wait until their human rights are finally implemented?
Klaus Widl, President of the Austrian Council for the Disabled
Brussels (OTS) – The UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UN-BRK) was ratified by Austria in 2008. Although 15 years have passed since then, implementation of the goals agreed in the convention is still a long time coming. As recently as August of this year, as part of the state review of Austria, the UN Committee of Experts on the Rights of People with Disabilities criticized the inadequate implementation of the UN CRPD in Austria. The recommendations for action resulting from the state review were sent to the state of Austria in September 2023. They show major deficiencies and also setbacks compared to the previous state audit.
Klaus Widl, President of the Austrian Council for the Disabled, is disappointed and angry: “The federal government has still not initiated a structured process to implement the United Nations’ recommendations. How long should people with disabilities wait until their human rights are finally implemented?
“
In the run-up to the International Day of People with Disabilities, celebrated on December 3, a conference focusing on the political rights of people with disabilities will take place from November 30 to December 1, 2023 at the European Commission’s premises in Brussels. At this event, organized by the European Commission and the European Disabled Forum, Austria will be represented by Klaus Widl.
More than 400 political decision-makers, high-ranking experts and people with disabilities from all over Europe exchange ideas on topics such as the active and passive voting rights of people with disabilities. In addition, the numerous barriers that prevent people with disabilities from exercising their fundamental rights are debated and how these can be eliminated. The afternoon of the first day of the conference is the focus of the “European Year of Skills”.
The second day begins with the presentation of the Access City Award, worth a total of 350,000 euros. With this award, the European Commission honors cities that give particular priority to accessibility for people with disabilities. The status quo, implementation so far and successes, but also challenges, of the EU strategy for the rights of people with disabilities 2021-2030 will then be discussed.
Questions & Contact:
Mag. Kerstin Huber-Eibl, Tel. 0660 92 47 236, Email: k.huber-eibl@behindertenrat.at