Inclusion
Scholz and King Abdullah II.: Protect rights of disabled people
People with disabilities have less access to education and appointed, are restricted in freedom of movement – and die earlier. A meeting in Berlin is about concrete improvements.
Do more for people with disabilities: The managing Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) and the Jordanian King Abdullah II have demanded internationally increased efforts for inclusion and participation. “Despite the progress of the past few years, people with disabilities continue to encounter systematic barriers,” said Scholz at the start of an international conference in Berlin. These ranged from training and work to health care to political participation and access to modern technologies.
Scholz warned of returning “at a time when diversity, participation and inclusion are increasingly questioned and even attacked in many countries”. He said, “We are here to say very clearly: We won’t let that happen.”
More than 3,000 representatives of government agencies and civil organizations from 100 countries come together until Thursday to the 3rd World Summit for People with Disabilities. The aim of the meeting is to get concrete progress to achieve the UN Convention on the Rights of Disabilities. The participants are called to make concrete commitments.
Jordanian king: Gaza strip is painful example
King Abdullah II of Jordan, whose country is considered a regional pioneer, asked to pay particular attention to the situation in conflict regions where people with disabilities are particularly vulnerable. Therefore, the use for just peace is particularly important and should not be delayed.
“The situation in Gaza is a painful example,” said the king, whose speech was interrupted by applause. “Today Gaza saw the highest number of amputated children in the world, together with high numbers among adults.” Medical institutions are destroyed.
Around 15 percent of the world’s population made up people with disabilities, the Ministry of Development said. The lack of inclusion of these people also means that societies are lost – according to the international work organization ILO, up to seven percent of the gross domestic product of a country.
Inclusion “Not just a desirable ideal”
The executive minister of development Svenja Schulze called for the increased integration of people with disabilities in society and professional life. “Inclusion is not just a desirable ideal, but a basic human right,” said the SPD politician at the conference. “The good news is: there are already many experiences and ideas for more inclusion and accessibility from which we and others can learn. But they are often not yet known enough.”
An Amman Berlin declaration is to be adopted on the second summit day. In this way, the states and organizations undertake to ensure that at least 15 percent of their development policy projects are supposed to promote the inclusion of more than 15 percent people with disabilities worldwide.
NAWAF Kabbara, President of the World Association of Self -Reporting Organizations of People with Disabilities, pointed out growing uncertainty in a time of many crises and wars as well as for funding. Investments in the participation of people with disabilities also use the whole society.
Life expectancy of people with disabilities much lower
A report on the situation (“Global Disability Inclusion Report”) is to be presented on Thursday. It shows a general, regionally but also different disadvantage.
According to the study, people with disabilities have an average of 14 years of lower life expectancy than people without disabilities, according to the ministry. The gap in the poorest countries is 23 years old, 10 years in the richest countries.
There are also considerable differences when accessing therapies and aids: While 88 percent of people with disabilities can use aids such as prostheses, wheelchairs or hearing aids in the richest countries, it is only 11 percent in the poorest countries.
And while more than 900 physiotherapists come to one million in the richest countries, there are less than 30 in poorer countries. Likewise, there are no more than 300 speech therapists and speech therapists per million inhabitants in some countries in some countries in Africa.
dpa
Source: Stern
I have been working in the news industry for over 6 years, first as a reporter and now as an editor. I have covered politics extensively, and my work has appeared in major newspapers and online news outlets around the world. In addition to my writing, I also contribute regularly to 24 Hours World.
