12
Dec
2022
Watch
Towards equal rights for persons with disabilities (debate)
Madam President, the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities is the first international human rights treaty to be signed by the European Union and all its Member States and therefore legally binding. Sixteen years later, we are assessing its fulfillment. Progress has been made, but much work remains to be done. Keywords are "accessibility" and "inclusion". "Inclusion" means that all people have the same value. ‘Inclusion’ means tolerance. "Inclusion" means equality. "Inclusion" means respect. People with disabilities themselves give us every day a lesson in humanity and life of what this word means. "Accessibility" is the other keyword. Accessibility in education – much remains to be done. Accessibility at work – just look at the figures: people with disabilities have much higher unemployment figures than those without disabilities. In the areas of health, justice, gender-based violence against women, accessible housing, participation, the right to vote and, above all, stereotypes: People with disabilities give us a daily lesson. We have the opportunity now to act with the same sincerity with which they face their lives.