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The UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities has issued its Draft General Comment on Article 19 of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD). Article 19, the right to live independently and be included in the community, is one of the key priority issues for people with intellectual disabilities and their families. The General Comment is an important interpretation of the rights contained within the CRPD, and provides guidance and recommendations to States parties on the implementation of those rights.

Inclusion International has expressed deep concern about the reference in Paragraph 47 of the Draft General Comment: “the right to decide where, how and with whom to reside also embraces the decision to live in institutional care settings”. Paragraph 47 is made further alarming in the Easy to Read version of the Draft General Comment, which states: “Persons with disabilities can decide to live in institutions if they want but countries do not have to provide institutions.”

Institutions in any form are prohibited by the CRPD and directly contradict the goals and general principles of Convention. People with intellectual disabilities and their families have been clear that inclusion is a pre-requisite of self-directed lives. An institution represents an approach that denies choice, denies opportunity; congregates, segregates and isolates people. One cannot have real choice without inclusion.

Inclusion International has therefore launched a petition calling on the CRPD Committee to remove Paragraph 47 from the Draft General Comment on Article 19.

Inclusion Europe encourages you to sign this petition to speak out against institutionalisation. The UN should recognise the importance of living independently and not embrace institutionalisation through the back door.

Inclusion Europe is addressing this problematic part of the Draft General Comment in its own submission to the CRPD Committee, and in a common submission together with the European Disability Forum and ENIL.

Easy-to-read version

Click on a word which is in blue to read what it means.

Inclusion International has published a call against institutions.

The United Nations Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
has written a comment on Article 19 of the
United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

Article 19 is about the right to live independently
and be part of the community.

The general comment says what this right means in practice.

Inside the general comment they also talk about institutions.

In the easy-to-read text they say:

“Persons with disabilities can decide to live in institutions if they want
but countries do not have to provide institutions.”

So they say that people with intellectual disabilities can live in institutions.

But this is against the goals of the
United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

The Convention wants to fight for the rights of persons with disabilities.

Living in institutions is against their rights.

At Inclusion International they have read the general comment
and the part about institutions.

They say that they are worried about it and that this part needs to go.

This is why they have published a call which people can sign.

The call asks the
United Nations Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
to remove this part.

At Inclusion Europe we have the same thoughts and we ask you
to sign the call.

You can sign it when you click here.