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‘No significant progress’ made on rights of disabled, says UN

THE British government has made “no significant progress” in addressing the grave and systematic violations of deaf and disabled people’s rights that the United Nations highlighted more than seven years ago.

In a report by the UN committee on the rights of disabled people, areas of further regression and several issues of “deep concern” were found.

It said: “The committee finds that the state party has failed to take all appropriate measures to address grave and systematic violations of the human rights of persons with disabilities and has failed to eliminate the root causes of inequality and discrimination.”

The report is the outcome of a follow-up to the committee’s unprecedented special inquiry in 2016, focusing on equal chances to live and participate in the community, the right to good work, and adequate social protections and standard of living.

Andy Greene of Disabled People Against Cuts, who triggered the special inquiry, said: “The facts speak for themselves. As such, the inquiry vindicates the experiences of deaf and disabled people whose voices are too often ignored.”

Inclusion London’s Svetlana Kotova said the report is a “damning verdict on the government’s track record in upholding our human rights.”

TUC General Secretary Paul Nowak said: “Being disabled should not mean you are consigned to a poor standard of living. 

“But this report from the UN paints a damning picture of life in the UK for disabled people after 14 years of Tory rule. Ministers must act on this report and eliminate the root causes of inequality.

“It is not right that millions of disabled workers are stuck in low-paid jobs and in-work poverty. And many do not get the accessibility and flexibility they need at work.

“That’s why we’re backing Labour’s New Deal for Working People, which would introduce disability pay gap reporting, introduce a day one right to flexible working, and ban zero-hours contracts, which disproportionately impact disabled workers.”

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