Should the UK adopt a new United Nations treaty on disabilities?
The government has been urged by a charity to ratify fully an international treaty on disability.
Yet another external treaty to cover internal issues!In 2007, the UK became one of the first countries to sign the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities after it was agreed.
Nice of them to let us know, wasn't it?But the disability charity Scope said it was worried ministers may opt out of parts of the treaty, including the right not to live in an institution...
Countries that adopt the treaty will have to get rid of laws, customs and practices that discriminate against disabled people.
The convention sets out the rights of disabled people, covering civil and political rights, accessibility, participation and inclusion, education, health, employment and social protection.
Scope says this treaty could do a lot to improve the rights of Britain's 11 million disabled people - but only if the government ratifies all of it.
Don't we already have laws to prevent discrimination against disabled people and to protect their rights? Such as this. Does it not cover everything? It certainly appears pretty comprehensive to me. So why do we to sign up to yet another externally-created treaty?Countries that adopt the treaty will have to get rid of laws, customs and practices that discriminate against disabled people.
The convention sets out the rights of disabled people, covering civil and political rights, accessibility, participation and inclusion, education, health, employment and social protection.
Scope says this treaty could do a lot to improve the rights of Britain's 11 million disabled people - but only if the government ratifies all of it.
It is far better than any such laws are made in our Parliament and discussed properly by our elected representatives, and tailored specifically to fit the UK situation. Then it can be modified to take account of the way in which our society works as needed. Rather than it being impossible to modify it.
Image: The FAIL Blog
