Disability convention not yet ratified

ALMOST ONE year after Ireland signed a United Nations convention on the rights of people with disabilities, the convention has yet to be ratified by the Government.

The Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Rights and Dignity of Persons with Disabilities was signed by Ireland and other UN members on March 30 last year.

However Ireland is not alone as so far just 17 countries, only three of them EU states, have ratified it. The convention itself can not enter into force until 30 days after it has been both signed and ratified by at least 20 UN countries.

This week, People with Disabilities in Ireland (PwDI), the national body which represents more then 400,000 people with disabilities, is calling on the Government to "show leadership" by ratifying the convention by Monday next, in time for the anniversary of the signing.

The ratification would commit Ireland to enact laws and other measures to improve disability rights and to abolish legislation, customs and practices that discriminate against people with disabilities.

Specifically it requires ratifying states to:

Combat stereotypes and prejudices and promote awareness of the capabilities of people with disabilities;

Identify and eliminate obstacles and barriers and ensure that people with disabilities can access transportation, public facilities and services, and information and communications technologies;

Develop and carry out policies, laws and administrative measures for securing the rights recognised in the convention;

Ensure that people with disabilities are able to live independently and to have access to in-home, residential and community support services;

Foster personal mobility and independence by facilitating affordable personal mobility, training in mobility skills and access to mobility aids, devices and technologies;

Ensure equal access to primary and secondary education, vocational training, adult education and lifelong learning;

Guarantee access to the highest attainable standard of health without discrimination on the basis of disability. This includes non-discrimination in the provision of health insurance;

Enable people with disabilities to attain maximum independence and ability. Ireland would have to provide comprehensive rehabilitation services in health, employment and education;

Prohibit discrimination in job-related matters, promote self-employment, entrepreneurship and starting one's own business and ensure that people with disabilities are provided with reasonable accommodation at work;

Ensure equal participation in political and public life, including the right to vote, to stand for elections and to hold office

PwDI general manager Stephen MacWhite said: "Ratification would not only convince the 400,000 people with disabilities in Ireland that the Government is serious about equal rights to education, health, work and other protective measures, it would send an important signal internationally."he said .