European Disability Forum: European Day of Persons with Disabilities 2016 – CRPD implementation cannot be business as usual
This year’s European Day of Persons with Disabilities marks the 10th anniversary of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UN CRPD). This has been the focus of the 2-day conference organised by the European Commission and the European Disability Forum (EDF) on 29-30 November 2016. The conference gathered together around 400 participants including people with disabilities and their representative organisations, associations and companies working to improve the life of people with disabilities, government representatives, EU institutions representatives, academics and many others. Together they were discussing and examining the progress which has been made in the European Union (EU) to promote the rights of persons with disabilities in line with the CRPD: each panel gives an overview of the legal and policy framework, and how it has changed, followed by personal testimonies and examples.
At the conference, EDF launched its first issue of a series of European Human Rights Reports. This first issue focuses on the 10th anniversary of the CRPD giving an overview of the state of play and progress made with regards to the CRPD in Europe.
Opening the conference on 29 November 2016, EDF President, Yannis Vardakastanis, underlined the positive impact of the CRPD in the EU legislation and initiatives since it ratified it in 2011:
“The Web Accessibility Directive was adopted last month, the proposal for the European Accessibility Act was published and is now being discussed, the European Structural and Investment Funds make a clear reference to the implementation of the CRPD ensuring accessibility and non-discrimination. Legislation has been adapted, but more can also be achieved, both in laws and policies, as well as on the ground”.
He also recalled the importance of implementing, promoting and protecting the rights of persons with disabilities in all policies and areas of life, as a society that respects the rights of persons with disabilities is a society that first respects the rights of every person and leaves no-one behind: “The full and meaningful implementation of the CRPD can only be achieved through a comprehensive Disability Agenda that mainstreams the rights of persons with disabilities in all policy areas and ensures a meaningful, structured dialogue with the representative organisation of persons with disabilities”. “For this reason”, he concluded, “it is fundamental to rethink the approach taken so far concerning the implementation of the CRPD. Its implementation is not business as usual and it should not be considered as such by policy makers at the European and national level”.
Finally, Yannis Vardakastanis, proposed to the EU to make 2021 the European Year of Persons with Disabilities since it will then be 10 years since the EU ratified the CRPD.
An accessible PDF of the report is available here.
