Whether on the housing market or in the education system: Disabled people have many disadvantages in Germany, a human rights organization criticizes.
According to the German Institute for Human Rights (DIM), there is still no equal participation for disabled people in Germany. “People with disabilities still have no real options in many important areas of life that would enable them to lead a self-determined life, as is natural for their fellow human beings,” said Leander Palleit, head of the monitoring body for the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, on Friday . He spoke on the occasion of the entry into force of the convention in Germany almost 14 years ago on March 26, 2009.
In many places, children with disabilities have no other option than to attend a special needs school because the regular schools lack an inclusive concept, the necessary equipment or educational staff, complained Palleit. After school, disabled young people could hardly learn a recognized profession or attend a university. “There will be a chain of exclusion that will massively affect the rights of people with disabilities,” warned Palleit.
“Very limited choices” also exist for disabled people in the housing market, he added. Only about one in 50 apartments is barrier-free.
DIM: The way to special structures is mapped out
The DIM called on the federal, state and local governments to take decisive action on the issue. “In Germany, contrary to the human rights obligations and all inclusion rhetoric, the course is still set in such a way that the path to special structures is mapped out for many people with disabilities,” criticized Palleit. All areas of life must be accessible and inclusive for all people, including those with disabilities.
The German Institute for Human Rights is accredited as an independent human rights institution by the United Nations and submits a report to the Bundestag on the human rights situation in Germany once a year. The UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities is a monitoring body at DIM that promotes compliance with the rights of people with disabilities and monitors the implementation of the convention in Germany.
