UN experts express concern about Belgium’s policies regarding people with disabilities

UN experts are concerned about Belgium’s respect for the rights of people with disabilities, according to a report from the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. 

The report comes 15 years after Belgium and Flanders signed the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. It follows a second review of Belgium’s policies conducted this summer.

While the committee acknowledged progress, such as the inclusion of the right to full societal inclusion in the Belgian Constitution in 2021, much of the 19-page report focused on ongoing challenges. Concerns include restrictions on the decision-making rights, media portrayals, a lack of inclusive education, and the low income levels of people with disabilities. 

The committee also highlighted that Belgium insufficiently supports independent living by pointing out that long waitlists for personal assistance prevent many individuals from living independently and integrating into the community.

The report calls on Belgium to make work of an inclusive education system, increase inclusive employment opportunities in the regular labour market (rather than in sheltered workshops), and ensure adequate income for people with disabilities. 

GRIP (Gelijke Rechten voor Iedere Persoon met een Handicap - Equal Rights for Every Person with a Disability), an advocacy organisation for people with disabilities, responded to the report by urging Belgium to take immediate action. “The future governments have a unique opportunity to create and implement an inclusion plan across all sectors,” said GRIP board member Nadia Hadid in a statement.

^{Athletes with cognitive disabilities compete in 2013’s Special Olympics Belgium in Gent © BELGA PHOTO NICOLAS MAETERLINCK}