The European Disability Forum (EDF) has recently released a report evaluating the European Union’s progress on the implementation of the UN Disability Rights Convention (UN CRPD). Having ratified the Convention as a “regional integration organisation”, EU institutions must implement the Convention to the full extent of their competencies.

However, the report shows that the EU is not doing enough to advance the rights of persons with disabilities, and is therefore failing to meet its international commitment.

EDF's report was submitted to a group of UN experts responsible for reviewing the EU’s approach to implementing the Convention. The report aims to inform the review, taking place on 11-12 March.

The key concerns highlighted by EDF include:

• Lack of legal harmonisation with the Convention. The Commission has not taken steps to ensure that proposed or existing laws and policies comply with the Convention.
• No comprehensive EU anti-discrimination legislation. Persons with disabilities are only protected against discrimination in employment and vocational training.
• EU gender equality laws fail to fully consider the rights and needs of women and girls with disabilities, which continue to face higher risk and rates of violence than other women and more discrimination than men with disabilities.
• Insufficient legislation on access to assistive technologies and to information in accessible formats, which limits the active participation of many persons with disabilities in the internal market of the EU.
• Failure to consider persons with disabilities in plans for disaster-risk reduction and preparedness.
• Exclusion of persons with disabilities from the laws on freedom of movement, especially as they cannot transfer their allowances or their support services.
• EU electoral law still allows for the denial of the right to vote for persons with disabilities.

The report explains that these shortcomings result from a lack of political leadership to implement and monitor the UN CRPD. The EU has not established a specific body to ensure its policies are aligned with the Convention, which causes a dilution of responsibility.

Moreover, the institutions are failing persons with disabilities in their role as public administration, both as employers and in their interactions with EU citizens for administrative and information purposes. The report notes that EU institutions lack a comprehensive reasonable accommodation policy, and do not sufficiently ensure accessibility in their physical venues and online.

In short, the report makes it clear that the European Union that still has much to do to ensure full inclusion of persons with disabilities. 

Read the full report here.