UN judged on the implementation of the UN CRPD in Austria

2023-08-23 16:47:01

Recommendations for action announced for September 8th

We are really looking forward to the committee’s recommendations and will keep a close eye on politicians to ensure that the recommendations are implemented!

Klaus Widl, President of the Austrian Council for Disabled Persons

Geneva (OTS) – In the last two days, the state of Austria was examined by the United Nations (UN) to determine the extent to which Austria had implemented the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

During this examination, the technical committee critically examined the following topics in particular:

De-Institutionalization: The Committee expressed its incomprehension that Austria has not yet drawn up a comprehensive plan for de-institutionalisation and called for Austria to take swift action in this area.
Accessibility: The committee was concerned that accessibility standards for housing had deteriorated since the last state review. The committee was also concerned with the fact that, for example, there are legal requirements in the area of digital accessibility, but these are not complied with by the state and private individuals.
Responsibility of the countries for the implementation of the CRPD: The committee criticized the fact that it appears that the federal states do not see themselves as responsible for the implementation of the UN CRPD, but see the federal government as responsible. Accordingly, the Committee’s rapporteur held out the prospect of a recommendation calling on countries to build support structures to reduce statutory adult representation.
Education: In the course of the state examination, the committee asked numerous questions on the subject of education. In essence, many of the questions were about why things have gotten worse since 2017 or why children with disabilities do not get the support they need in regular schools. Unfortunately, the questions of the committee were not answered by the state of Austria during the examination.

In a next step, the committee will publish the written recommendations on September 8, 2023.

We are really looking forward to the committee’s recommendations and will keep a close eye on politicians to ensure that the recommendations are implemented! emphasizes Klaus Widl, President of the Austrian Council for Disabled Persons.