Last year the UN looked at the UK’s record in implementing the Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities (CRPD).
Its conclusions were very critical, so much so that the UK government were asked to respond to some of the criticisms in 12 months. Their report has now been published
Kamran Mallick, CEO of Disability Rights UK, said:
“This report is clutching at straws in its attempts to persuade the UN that the CRPD is being followed in the UK. Although the report says there are plans for engaging with disabled people and our organisations these are yet to take place even though we were told the same thing last year in Geneva.
“The creation of the inter-ministerial group on disability and society is welcome and I hope it will really get to grips with implementing our rights rather than what seems to be the current approach of side lining the CRPD’.
“Examples of the ‘clutching at straws’ approach include the Care Act principle of wellbeing being used to try and demonstrate a commitment to independent living whereas, in reality, the two things are not the same. In fact, the idea of independent living was rejected by the Government when the Bill was going through parliament.
“Again, the report says that the Government is following the CRPD principle of supported decision making through the Mental Capacity Act 2005. The trouble with this is the Government have introduced a Bill to amend this Act the effect of which will be to take supported decision making away.
“There are many more examples. DR UK will be producing a full response to this report in the next few days.”