A paper compared the organization of inclusive and special education systems in the Flemish community of Belgium, Norway, the Netherlands, and England.
Source: Leen Sebrechts, Education for Children with Special Needs: A comparative study of education systems and parental guidance services, Working Paper 12/11, Centre for Social Policy (Antwerp University)
Links: Paper
Date: 2012-Nov
A report said that people with disabilities in Europe were at serious risk of poverty, social exclusion, and discrimination as a result of their governments' austerity measures. Reduced spending on welfare and social services by some member states was resulting in a disproportionate increase in numbers of people with disabilities losing their jobs, income support, and access to basic services.
Source: Bernard Brunhes International, Assessing the Impact of European Governments Austerity Plans on the Rights of People with Disabilities, European Consortium on Human Rights and Disability (European Foundation Centre)
Links: Report | EFC press release
Date: 2012-Nov
An article examined the evidence relating to the impact of institutionalization on disabled children in Europe. It explored the human rights, legislative, and policy framework underpinning institutionalization and outlined areas that required development. It assessed some of the most recent advances in policy and action to address the issue and made recommendations for transforming systems of health, education, and social protection services for children and families, in order to end the institutionalization of children.
Source: Georgette Mulheir, 'Deinstitutionalisation a human rights priority for children with disabilities', Equal Rights Review, Volume 9
Links: Article
Date: 2012-Sep
An article examined the influence of being disabled on poverty dynamics in European countries. The impact of disability on the likelihood of being poor was around 3 times greater in the long term than in the short term.
Source: Carmen Delia Davila Quintana and Miguel Malo, 'Poverty dynamics and disability: an empirical exercise using the European community household panel', Journal of Socio-Economics, Volume 41 Issue 4
Links: Abstract
Date: 2012-Sep
An independent report said that, despite commitments by European Union member states to promote inclusive education, children with special educational needs and disabled adults were still getting a 'raw deal'. Many were placed in segregated institutions, and those in mainstream educational settings often received inadequate support. The report called on member states to work harder to develop inclusive education systems, and to remove the barriers faced by vulnerable groups when it came to participation and success in education, training, and employment.
Source: Sheila Riddell, Education and Disability/Special Needs: Policies and practices in education, training and employment for students with disabilities and special educational needs in the EU, European Commission
Links: Report | European Commission press release
Date: 2012-Jul
A report said that a failure by the European Union to bring its Structural Funds into alignment with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities would needlessly expose the EU – and its member states – to international legal liability if the Funds were used to build new institutions. Such a failure would amount to a wasted opportunity to harness the Funds to ease a major process of transition needed to embed the right to community living for all.
Source: Gerard Quinn and Suzanne Doyle, Taking the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Seriously: The past and future of the EU structural funds as a tool to achieve community living, Centre for Disability Law and Policy, National University of Ireland (Galway)
Links: Report
Date: 2012-Jul
Two linked reports said that discrimination against people with intellectual disabilities and people with mental health problems persisted in Europe despite the ratification of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities by the European Union and 21 member states. They highlighted the need to move from institutional to community-based living arrangements, and to reformulate laws and policies to make them more inclusive.
Source: Involuntary Placement and Involuntary Treatment of Persons with Mental Health Problems, Fundamental Rights Agency (European Commission) | Choice and Control: The right to independent living – Experiences of persons with intellectual disabilities and persons with mental health problems in nine EU member states, Fundamental Rights Agency (European Commission)
Links: Report (1) | Report (2) | FRA press release
Date: 2012-Jun
A paper used data from the 2009 European Union Statistics on Income and Living Conditions (EU-SILC) to show that improving the socio-economic situation of disabled people could be crucial for attaining the Europe 2020 targets. However, future policy designs at the national level would need to take into account the actual definition of disability that was employed, the heterogeneity of circumstances to be found within such a definition, and the gap between the situation of the disabled and non-disabled populations.
Source: Alvaro Choi and Jorge Calero, The Contribution of the Disabled to the Attainment of the Europe 2020 Strategy Headline Targets, Working Paper 2012/16, Barcelona Institute of Economics
Links: Paper
Date: 2012-Jun
An article examined the influence of being disabled on poverty dynamics in Europe. It presented results adjusting the modified OECD equivalence scale by the number of adults with severe disabilities in the household, and calculated poverty rates with this disability-adjusted scale. In addition it addressed the problem of incidental parameters in econometric models for the probability of being poor, and separated the effects of being disabled on poverty that were short- and long-term. The long-term ('persistence') effect was three times the short-term ('true state dependence') effect, which had significant social policy implications.
Source: Carmen Delia Davila Quintana and Miguel Malo, 'Poverty dynamics and disability: an empirical exercise using the European Community Household Panel', Journal of Socio-Economics, Volume 41 Issue 4
Links: Abstract
Date: 2012-May
An article examined wage discrimination against disabled persons in 11 European countries from the European Community Household Panel (1995-2001). It estimated wage equations for persons with disabilities hampering them in daily activities, for those not hampered, and for non-disabled people. Most countries showed no relevant wage differential against disabled workers not so hampered, compared with non-disabled workers. Where it existed, it related mainly to low-productivity characteristics, not wage discrimination. However, compared with non-disabled workers, disabled workers hampered in daily activities suffered from low-productivity characteristics and wage discrimination.
Source: Miguel Malo and Ricardo Pagan, 'Wage differentials and disability across Europe: discrimination and/or lower productivity?', International Labour Review, Volume 151 Issues 1-2
Links: Abstract
Date: 2012-May
A paper examined the fact that European countries with high senior employment rates had the highest levels of job satisfaction despite an older and more physically limited workforce. This paradox could be explained by heterogeneous levels of job quality: better working conditions might enable older workers with disabilities to remain satisfied and employed. Improved job quality was a major factor in successful active ageing strategies.
Source: Catherine Pollak, Employed and Happy Despite Weak Health? Labour market participation and job quality of older workers with disabilities, Working paper 45, Institut de Recherche et Documentation en Economie de la Sante (Paris)
Links: Paper
Date: 2012-Mar
An article said that adults with disabilities in developed countries were at a higher risk of violence than non-disabled adults, and those with mental illnesses could be particularly vulnerable.
Source: Karen Hughes, Mark Bellis, Lisa Jones, Sara Wood, Geoff Bates, Lindsay Eckley, Ellie McCoy, Christopher Mikton, Tom Shakespeare, and Alana Officer, 'Prevalence and risk of violence against adults with disabilities: a systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies', The Lancet Early Online Publication, 28 February 2012
Links: Abstract | BBC report
Date: 2012-Feb
A research note analyzed the socio-economic situation of working-age people with disabilities using European Union level data. It looked at the way disability varied between men and women, age groups, and levels of educational attainment. It also examined how employment and the risk of poverty and material deprivation differed between people with and without disabilities. It reviewed the literature on disability policy initiatives, and also discussed methodological issues.
Source: Asghar Zaidi, The Situation of Working-Age People with Disabilities Across the EU, Research Note 5/2011, Social Situation Observatory (European Commission)
Links: Research note
Date: 2012-Feb
An article compared European Union and American disability discrimination law in terms of founding principles, implementation, and practice. It considered the evolution of a 'civil rights' model (broadly based on a social construct of disability) which underpinned discrimination law in the United States, and its subsequent adaptation in the European Union context to fit with a broader European social model. It also looked at the role of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with disabilities in furthering the shift from civil rights approaches to locating disability rights within a broader theory of social justice.
Source: Gerard Quinn and Eilionoir Flynn, 'Transatlantic borrowings: the past and future of EU non-discrimination law and policy on the ground of disability', American Journal of Comparative Law, Volume 60 Issue 1
Links: Abstract
Date: 2012-Feb
A report provided an overview of the situation of children with intellectual disabilities in 22 European countries (including the United Kingdom), with a particular focus on their rights in 5 areas: protection against abuse, family support and (de-)institutionalization, health, education, and participation.
Source: Camille Latimier and Jan Siska, Children s Rights for All! Implementation of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child for children with intellectual disabilities – A European report, Inclusion Europe
Links: Report
Date: 2012-Jan
A report examined the way in which admissibility rules related to standing and victim status could in certain circumstances exclude persons with disabilities held in mental health institutions from the protection of the European Convention on Human Rights, by denying them access to proceedings before the European Court of Human Rights.
Source: Constantin Cojocariu, Handicapping Rules: The overly restrictive application of admissibility criteria by the European Court of Human Rights to complaints concerning disabled people, European Network on Independent Living
Date: 2012-Jan
A new book examined a range of philosophical and ethical issues with respect to the engagement of disabled people in a range of physical activity contexts, including mainstream sporting activities.
Source: Ejgil Jespersen and Mike McNamee, Ethics, Disability and Sports, Routledge
Links: Summary
Date: 2012-Jan
A report examined the extent to which disability was being mainstreamed in different areas of European Union law and policy. Over 200 legal instruments were considered. It concluded that more policy areas should be made 'disability-proof': special attention should be paid to fields such as health and consumer protection, where recognition of the disability dimension in legislation and policy was 'largely non-existent'.
Source: Janina Arsenjeva, Annotated Review of European Union Law and Policy with Reference to Disability, Academic Network of European Disability Experts (European Commission)
Links: Report
Date: 2012-Jan
