The European Disability Forum’s (EDF) has published the fifth edition of its Human Rights Report, with the focus of this year’s edition being on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on persons with disabilities across Europe during 2020.
The report examines how the EU and European countries have largely failed to include persons with disabilities in their responses to the pandemic. In particular, it highlights how supports and services were often suspended as a result of measures to contain the spread of the disease, with policy responses often overlooking the specific needs of persons with disabilities.
The publication sets out how this often infringed upon the rights of persons with disabilities (including around accessibility, equality and non-discrimination etc). In response to these findings, the report includes a number of recommendations for the EU and national governments, across 10 areas of policy, including:
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Preparedness and response
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Disaggregated data
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Accessibility and inclusion
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Services and supports
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Human rights-based approaches.
The full report, as well as an easy-read version, are available at: https://www.edf-feph.org/human-rights-report-2021-covid19/
