For the first time in history, the EU was reviewed by the United Nations (UN) in 2015 and received specific recommendations on how to improve its work on the rights of the 80 million Europeans with disabilities. 15 European countries have also been reviewed and two more country reviews will be completed in 2017. The UN recommendations give important guidance, but how can they be translated into change that will improve the living conditions of people with disabilities in practice?
The European Disability Forum (EDF) and its members discussed this together with representatives from the Slovak EU Presidency, the European Parliament, the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD Committee) and the International Disability Alliance during a European conference in Bratislava. The conference was organised by EDF and its Slovak members, the Slovak Disability Council, with the support of the Slovak EU Presidency, as part of EDF’s Board meeting.