Germany parliament passes controversial persons with disabilities rights act News
Germany parliament passes controversial persons with disabilities rights act

The German Parliament [official website] passed a controversial persons with disabilities rights act Thursday. The Federal Participation Law [draft text, in German], has been in the works since early 2016 and is proposed to enhance an inclusive society and increase the access of Germans with disabilities to assistance and partnerships [bill summary, in German]. The passage of the act was in part due to the 2008 UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities [official website], and Parliamentarians hope the passage of the law will increase the self-determination of persons with disabilities. Some activists have opposed the legislation [DW report], saying it does not go far enough.

The rights of persons with disabilities is a global issue. In November the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities issued a report finding that the UK has infringed upon the rights of disabled persons since their welfare reforms in 2012 [JURIST report]. In September UN rights experts called for the creation of inclusive education programming [JURIST report] to include those living with disabilities as a central and crucial step in order to create peaceful and inclusive societies. The UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities released a statement in August that women with disabilities face discrimination and are often excluded from freely participating in society [JURIST report. The US Department of Justice (DOJ) filed suit against the state of Georgia in August alleging that the state discriminates against students [JURIST report] with behavior-related disabilities. Last year Human Rights Watch (HRW) sent Moroccan officials a letter claiming that a draft framework law before the country’s parliament was in conflict with obligations [JURIST report] under the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.