Suche
Mein Konto
Federal and state governments demand: inclusion of people with disabilities now!
The Austrian Council for People with Disabilities calls for needs-based support for people with disabilities in accordance with the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
Federal and state governments demand: inclusion of people with disabilities now!
On December 2, 2024, Klaus Widl, President of the Austrian Council for the Disabled, made an urgent appeal that the support of homes and large facilities for people with disabilities cannot be tolerated any longer. Instead, he calls for support that meets the needs of those affected and enables inclusion in the community. “We use public money to promote social exclusion, which cannot and must not be the case according to Article 19 of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities,” warned Widl in a video that brings together numerous other voices from experts from the Council for People with Disabilities. The association calls for uniform, needs-based services throughout Austria.
The UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UN-BRK), which has been in force in Germany since 2009, represents an important framework for securing and promoting the rights of people with disabilities. It specifies universal human rights and calls for the full participation of people with disabilities in social life. The convention is seen as essential to ensure accessibility and equality in various areas of life such as education, health and mobility disabled commissioner.de reported. Despite existing legal requirements, however, it appears that practice falls short of expectations in many cases.
Urgent need for action
A first step towards improvement was introduced with the harmonization guidelines for personal assistance, which, however, does not yet apply in all federal states. In addition, financial resources are very limited. The Austrian Council for Persons with Disabilities emphasizes the need for a national action plan to meet the requirements of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and to effectively protect the rights of people with disabilities. In this context, it is essential that all federal states take their responsibilities more seriously and take concrete measures to implement the agreements in order to shape an inclusive society that meets the needs of everyone.