Category: My Home, My Choice

Call to action to protect the right to family life & prevent institutionalization for all children

in My Home, My Choice, Uncategorised

The signatories to this call to action acknowledge the leadership of the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child and of the United Nations Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in their efforts to harmonize international human rights standards concerning children deprived of parental care. This call to action seeks…
Hungary: Lack of transparency prevents progress on independent living

in Hungary, My Home, My Choice, Uncategorised

Validity and our partners continue to advocate for concrete steps to enhance human rights protections for persons with disabilities in Hungary. However, we are concerned that a lack of transparency and accountability is preventing genuine progress on independent living. We call on both Hungary and the European Union to recommit to moving forward and to…
Hungary: Disability rights organisations address lack of respect for the rights of persons with disabilities through the UN’s Universal Periodic Review

in Hungary, I’m A Person, My Home, My Choice, Schools For All, Uncategorised

Yesterday, Validity Foundation together with the Hungarian Autistic Society, the Hungarian Civil Liberties Union, the Living Independently in the Community Advocacy Group, and the Step by Step! Association submitted a shadow report to the Universal Periodic Review (UPR), an important human rights process conducted by the United Nations’ Human Rights Council. Validity also contributed to…
Commission Fails to Stop Romania and Estonia from Segregating Citizens with Disabilities

in Article, My Home, My Choice, Romania

In 2019, the European Network on Independent Living – ENIL and the Validity Foundation submitted two separate complaints against the Managing Authorities in Romania and Estonia, for using European Structural and Investment Funds (ESI Funds) to build new institutions for persons with disabilities. After almost a year, the European Commission responded to both complaints, finding…
Finland: NGOs seek legal recognition that locking people in institutions is not a lawful response to Covid-19 epidemic

in Finland, My Home, My Choice

Photo: Mr. Petri Virolainen, Ambassador of Friendship, who brings happiness to residents in housing service units across Finland, has been stopped from visiting. Validity, Law Firm Kumpuvuori Ltd. and ENIL (European Network on Independent Living) have filed a collective complaint to the European Committee of Social Rights arguing that the measures violate the rights to…
Hungary: Validity takes legal action against the European Commission for refusing to release information on its funding of human rights abuses

in Hungary, My Home, My Choice

The European Commission has refused to make public documents submitted to it by the Hungarian Government concerning the use of European Union Structural and Investment Funds to finance the renovation and construction of institutions that segregate and discriminate against persons with disabilities. Validity, kindly assisted by Covington & Burling LLP, has filed an application against…
Council of Europe body finds Czech Republic responsible for violating rights of children with disabilities and Romani children through institutionalisation

in Czech Republic, My Home, My Choice

The European Committee of Social Rights has today found the Czech Republic responsible for large-scale and discriminatory institutionalisation of children with disabilities and Romani children in early childhood care institutions, criticising the failure of the country to adopt and implement an appropriate deinstitutionalisation strategy. In a decision released today, the European Committee found violations of…
COVID-19 Disability Rights Monitor Report highlights catastrophic global failure to protect the rights of persons with disabilities

in I’m A Person, My Home, My Choice, Schools For All

Final report: Click here Easy-to-read summary of the final report: Click here In its final report, the COVID-19 Disability Rights Monitor (DRM) Coordinating Group calls for urgent action by States and the international community to halt the catastrophic failure to protect the lives, health and rights of persons with disabilities during the COVID-19 pandemic. The…
COVID-19 Disability Rights Monitor calls on governments to ensure access to food, medication and essential supplies for persons with disabilities

in Article, Australia, Bangladesh, Canada, France, Kenya, My Home, My Choice, Nigeria, Philippines, Serbia, Sierra Leone, Uganda, Uncategorised, United Kingdom, USA

Easy-to-read version: Click here It is with grave concern that the COVID-19 Disability Rights Monitor (DRM) calls on governments to take immediate emergency measures to ensure that persons with disabilities have access to food, medication, and other essential supplies. Analysis by the COVID-19 DRM has revealed that government failure to take measures to protect the…
Statement of the Coordinating Group of the COVID-19 Disability Rights Monitor at the Opening of the Twenty-Third Session of the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities

in Article, Bangladesh, Belgium, Bosnia Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Canada, Czech Republic, France, Honduras, Hungary, I’m A Person, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Lithuania, Mexico, Moldova, Mozambique, My Home, My Choice, Namibia, Nepal, Nigeria, Philippines, Poland, Romania, Russia, Rwanda, Schools For All, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Switzerland, Uganda, Uncategorised, United Kingdom, USA, Zambia, Zimbabwe

At the opening of the 23rd session of the CRPD Committee, on 17 August 2020, Validity’s Co-Executive Director, Steven Allen spoke on behalf of the COVID-19 Disability Rights Monitor Coordinating Group and shared some preliminary findings of the global survey, which was translated into 25 languages and received more than 2,100 responses from 134 countries.…