Disabled people’s organisations (DPOs) from across the UK have described the government’s evidence to a United Nations disability rights committee last month as “an insult to disabled people” and full of “half-truths, untruths” and “empty assertions”.
Following on from my last blog, representatives from more than ten DPOs were in Geneva to witness the evidence given by the UK government as it attempted to persuade the committee it had made progress since being found guilty of “grave and systematic violations” of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in 2016.
In an initial statement Alexandra Gowland, deputy director of the Disability Unit, pointed to a string of recent government policies across disability strategy, social security, housing, social care and employment – nearly all of which have been widely discredited. She and fellow civil servants were also asked to respond to concerns and questions raised by members of the committee.
But representatives of the DPOs that had travelled to Geneva to brief the committee and watch the session say they were appalled at the evidence given by the UK government’s delegation.
Ellen Clifford, who coordinates the coalition of DPOs that monitors the implementation of the convention in the UK, told Disability News Service (DNS) that:
“The UK government’s representatives had avoided all of the substantive issues with which the special inquiry is concerned and failed to answer any of the committee’s questions. They chose instead to talk out their time on issues not relevant to the inquiry and in a misleadingly positive light. We felt their approach was disrespectful to the committee and showed how little they value the lives of Deaf and disabled people.”
She said the questions and comments from the UN rapporteurs – the committee members who have led investigations into the UK’s progress showed how well they understand the true picture of what is happening and that “they had really listened to and valued the evidence we submitted and the testimonies that were shared with them by Deaf and disabled people”.
John McArdle of Black Triangle told DNS that the UK government was guilty of “whitewashing and ignoring the rock-solid evidence” and that its delegation had kept trying to “dodge the bullets” by not addressing the issues raised by committee members. He added that the failure of the UK delegation to address the issues raised by the committee was “insulting, not only to us, but to the United Nations, the rapporteurs and the institution itself”.
Kamran Mallick, of Disability Rights UK, said:
“Although we are not surprised by the UK government’s response today, we still feel that their refusal to properly engage with this process is an insult to all disabled people whose experiences are reflected in the evidence we’ve provided to the UN.
“Despite requesting a delay last year, they have provided us with no new evidence – instead signposting to plans and policies that create no transformative change … but they know, just as we do, that no progress has been made. In fact, we have gone backwards.”
Read the full report in Disability News Service.
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The representatives from the 10 UK DPOs included Svetlana Kotova, director of
campaigns and justice at Inclusion London ; Kamran Mallick, chief executive of Disability
Rights UK ; Natasha Hirst, president of the National Union of Journalists and the
disability representative on its national executive; Rhian Davies, chief
executive of Disability Wales ; Mark Harrison,
a member of the steering group of the Reclaiming Our Futures Alliance ; Tony
O’Reilly, from Northern Ireland’s Northwest Forum of People with
Disabilities; Ellen Clifford who is a member of the national steering committee of Disabled People Against Cuts and John McArdle, co-founder of the Scottish-based grassroots
group Black Triangle.
Description of cartoon for those using screen reading software
A UN representative is stood talking to a group of disabled people from the UK. In the background are two UK government representatives who are hauling on a rope attached to the arm of a large clock face. The clock face represents ‘progress’ and they are dragging the indicator arm back from 2024. The UN rep is asking the disabled people: “So it’s not just us that thinks that your government is trying to turn back the clock?” One of them replies: “No, they’d take us back to the time when we had no rights if they could!”
Crippen Cartoons 