Following our recent post asking for your views and concerns regarding the UK leaving Europe. Here are some of the views including our own:
Firstly Labour actually posted this which got very little or no exposure in the campaign:
This isn’t strictly true as someone who’s worked and travelled extensively in Europe, they are way behind the UK and are looking to the US and Uk for the way ahead. The EU Accessibility Act at the moment only includes accessibility to websites and apps and has taken years to get to the current stage which is a ‘recommendation’ only. This is something that already exists on a global scale thanks to the US and UNCRPD (United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities). The EU disability strategy is for 2010-2020 and is ‘A Renewed Commitment to a Barrier-Free Europe’ but not much has actually passed into law.
We are particularly disturbed by the exclusion of disabled people and their rights in the BREXIT debate. On the other hand we heartened to see that ‘austerity’ has disappeared from the current thinking and we hope this means no more disability benefit cuts?! We hope Ian duncan-Smith doesn’t get his way in the new government and we also hope the initiative by David Cameron to bridge the disability employment gap by 50% remains as policy. Disability Rights gave evidence to The Work & Pensions Committee, 4th July, hear more here:
Finally some better news the Equality & Human Rights Commission (EHRC). The Chair, David Isaacs wrote this in response to the Referendum
‘During the course of the campaign, many people highlighted how European legislation has improved rights for disabled people and workers, as well as other groups.
There are also big constitutional questions about what our future relationship might be with European Courts and the role they play as part of our system of justice.
The Commission will continue to be a strong, independent and robust voice in protecting rights in the months ahead and in influencing this debate.
To help us ensure we do that, I have commissioned our Executive Director for Strategy and Policy to examine the potential legal and constitutional issues that relate to equality and human rights that we will need to consider in the months ahead as the implications of the Brexit vote become more widely understood. We will also set out recommendations for the position we will take to maximise our influence on the debate.
It is essential we don’t see a weakening of the rights and protections that we all enjoy in the UK and that help make our country fairer.’
We hope BREXIT doesn’t put disability rights and improvements to the ‘back of the queue’. We’ll keep you updated here and if anyone has any concerns, let us know and we will present them to government – whoever that is!!!