World view round up

EUROPE

Caged: institutions of shame

According to the European Council’s Commissioner for Human Rights, too many disabled people on the Continent continue to be kept in degrading and segregated conditions in residential institutions.

Writing on his blog, Thomas Hammarburg says: “In Europe today, thousands of people with disabilities are still kept in large, segregated and often remote institutions. In some cases they live in substandard conditions, suffering abject neglect and severe human rights abuses. In too many cases, premature deaths are not investigated or even reported. Caged beds and other restraints are still used [and] there is an atmosphere of impunity.”

Bulgaria in particular is highlighted. Its Prosecutor General has apparently initiated criminal investigations into 166 deaths and 30 more cases of abuse of children living in state homes for young people with mental disabilities.

The Commissioner describes as “not acceptable” the fact that people still routinely have their legal capacity removed and are deprived of their liberty without this being subject to judicial review.

While recognising some advances towards indepen­dent living in Albania, Macedonia and Serbia, he goes on to say that “since several European countries still lack a system for community-based services, it will take time before large psychiatric and social care institutions are phased out.”

ISRAEL

Benefits battle

A group of disabled people in Israel is demanding that benefits be brought more in line with earnings.

The website of the Israeli newspaper Haarretz, quotes a letter written to Yitzhak Herzog, Israel’s Social Affairs Minister, which said: “At issue is a group of people that experiences economic instability in almost all aspects of their life.”

The letter pointed out that disability benefits have not risen in Israel for several years, while inflation has increased over that time.

The disabled people are demanding that, over the course of five years, benefit levels be brought up to match the minimum wage.

But they also want the criteria for benefit payments to be adjusted so that payments relate not, as at present, to a person’s estimated earnings power but to the individual’s level of impairment.

JAPAN

Tokyo ten thosuand

A huge rally of 10,000 disabled people, their allies and supporters took place recently in the Japanese capital, Tokyo.

The event was attended by members of the Japanese Government.

One of the disabled people at the rally was quoted as saying: “We want every disabled person to be assured of the right to live in their local community without discrimination.”

In particular the demon­strators were demanding the replacement of the 2005 Support for Persons with Disabilities Act, which is largely seen as regressive and unhelpful.

The International Labour Organisation (ILO), for example, had previously observed that the Act had created significant barriers for disabled people in the labour market.

The ILO pointed out that each year there is a transfer rate of less than two per cent from work provided under welfare programmes and into open employment.

In addition, disabled workers in sheltered employment are low paid, and those working in certain facilities are not covered by employment rights legislation and are also required to pay service fees for the use of the welfare service.

PAKISTAN

High and not dry

It’s reported from the Northern Pakistani province of Tangi that disabled people have found themselves last in line for aid distributed following the recent devastating floods there.

One disabled aid worker on the ground is Asim Zafar, of the Saaya Association of Persons with Disability.  Amid pictures of disabled people being entirely dependent on family members to bring them food in the general scrum for aid, he says: “For almost everyone, whether inter­national aid organisations or local charities, their focus is normal people. There is a sort of discrimination towards disabled people.”

Zafar was in the province distributing medical equipment and other aids to independence on behalf of his organisation.

“The biggest problem for flood-affected disabled people is that their mobility is further decreased at the relief camps,” he went on.

“They sit in the scorching heat or intense cold till someone comes to their aid and moves them to some shelter.”

Zakia is a disabled child who benefited from aid from Zafar’s organisation.

She said, “I was totally helpless, completely dependent on my family members. But with this wheelchair I have got a new life. I can go around to take care of my own needs, see people and make friends.”