CRPD concluding observations

In the end of August, the EU review of the UN Convention on Rights of Persons with Disabilities took place in Geneva Switzerland. Now, the Committee have submitted their concluding observations including their comments and recommendations on topics they see are important for the EU to work on and improve. The EU now have four years to work, until 2019.

We at EUD are pleased to see sign language included in the recommendations. For Article 21 “Freedom of expression and opinion, and access to information”, the concluding observations say that that the EU needs to take more work more on the implementation of its legislation on access to information and communication in accessible format such as sign language. The EU should also work more to promote the official recognition sign language. The EU should also improve accessibility of the websites of all EU institutions including offering information in sign language.

For Article 18, “Freedom of movement”, the recommendation say that the EU should take immediate action to allow all persons with disabilities the right to freedom of movement on equal basis with others and that social security benefits should be portable between Member States.

Other comments in the recommendations were that they made was the EU should adopt the European Accessibility Act, to make a review of the European Disability Strategy 2010-2020 and too cooperate more dialogue with disability organisations in EU decision making process.

We at EUD are looking forward to monitoring and follow up these recommendations and see the improvements of the work of the EU the coming four years.

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