In response to the most recent monitoring report by the UK Independent Mechanism which includes the Equality and Human Rights Commission, on the state of disabled people's rights in the UK, Dr Rhidian Hughes, Chief Executive of the Voluntary Organisations Disability Group (VODG) says:
‘It is deeply concerning that seven years after the initial findings of the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities to improve the lives of disabled people across the UK, evidence again finds the government to be failing disabled people.
‘Despite some progress having been made, and the ongoing commitment and efforts of disabled people, their families and those who support them; the Committee rightly highlights many areas of reform, including welfare support, health provision and engagement with disabled people and their organisations, that are severely lacking.
‘As VODG’s Commission on COVID-19, Ableism and Racism recently found, government does not meaningfully engage with disabled people and therefore policy decisions are made that exacerbate rather than address the unacceptable inequalities disabled people face.
‘As a country we must do better. Disabled people have equal rights to live the lives they choose and access the health and other public services they need without challenge. Unless government changes the way it makes decisions to truly include and represent disabled people, it will continue to fail large swathes of the population directly and indirectly effected by disability.‘
ENDS
Notes:
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The UK Independent Mechanism consists of the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC), the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland (ECNI), the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission (NIHRC) and the Scottish Human Rights Commission (SHRC)
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The full report by the Equalities and Human Rights Commission can be found here: https://www.equalityhumanrights.com/en/progress-disability-rights-united-kingdom-2023?utm_source=e-shot&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=UNCRPDreviewreport2023
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The initial inquiry findings (2016) can be found here: https://digitallibrary.un.org/search?f1=author&as=1&sf=title&so=a&rm=&m1=p&p1=UN.+Committee+on+the+Rights+of+Persons+with+Disabilities+%2816th+sess.+%3A+2016+%3A+Geneva%29&ln=en
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VODG’s Commission on COVID-19, Ableism and Racism was published in July 2023: https://www.vodg.org.uk/resource/a-spotlight-on-injustice-the-final-report-from-the-commission-on-covid-19-ableism-and-racism.html