The UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities has produced a damning report, following its recent Review of the UK government’s compliance with the Convention. The Committee met in Geneva on 23 and 24 August to examine the UK government’s progress on fulfilling its commitments.

Far from being a world leader in disability equality, the UK government’s record on upholding disabled people’s rights has been condemned by the Committee; one member went as far as calling this a “human catastrophe”. In its Concluding Observations, the Committee has made more than 60 recommendations, the highest ever number of recommendations to the UK. Deaf and Disabled People’s Organisations (DDPOs) were hailed as the genuine “world leaders” for their efforts in bringing to light the injustices and human rights violations inflicted on disabled people in the UK.

Education for disabled children has been highlighted as an area of major concern. The Committee was concerned at the increased number of disabled children being sent to separate “special” schools, and the UK’s reluctance to develop more inclusive education for disabled children; it called for a strategy to end the segregation and institutionalisation of children and young people from their families and communities. It also expressed concern at the UK government’s failure to address high levels of bullying, hate speech and hate crime against disabled children and young people.

Specifically with regard to Article 24 (Education), the Committee expressed concerns at:

1. The persistence of a dual education system that segregates disabled children to special schools, including based on parental choice;
2. The number of disabled children in segregated education environments is increasing;
3. The education system is not geared to respond to the requirements for high-quality inclusive education, in particular the practices of school authorities turning down enrolment of disabled students who are deemed ‘as disruptive to other classmates’; and
4. Education and training of teachers in inclusion competences is not reflecting the requirements of inclusive education.

The Committee’s recommendations for education include:

1. Develop a comprehensive and coordinated legislative and policy framework for inclusive education, and a timeframe to ensure that mainstream schools foster real inclusion of children with disabilities in the school environment and teachers and all other professionals and persons in contact with children understand the concept of inclusion and are able to enhance inclusive education;
2. Adopt regulation, monitor development and offer remedies in combating disability-related discrimination and/or harassment, including deciding upon schemes for compensation;
3. Adopt and implement a coherent strategy, financed with concrete timelines and measurable goals, on increasing and improving inclusive education. The strategy must:
   1. Ensure the implementation of laws, decrees and regulations improving the extent and quality of inclusive education in classrooms, support provisions and teacher training, including pedagogical capabilities, across all levels providing for high-quality inclusive environments, including within breaks between lessons and through socialisation outside “education time”;
   2. Setup initiatives raising awareness about and support to inclusive education among parents of children with disabilities; and
   3. Provide sufficient, relevant data on the number of students both in inclusive and segregated education disaggregated by impairment, age, sex and ethnic background, and further provide data on the outcome of the education reflecting the capabilities of the students

The Convention, which is the first human rights treaty of the 21st century, promotes respect for the inherent dignity of all disabled people and safeguards all disabled people’s human rights and fundamental freedoms. The educational rights of disabled children and young people are directly addressed in Article 24, which stipulates an inclusive education system at primary, secondary and tertiary level. In particular, Article 24 specifies that States Parties shall ensure “an inclusive education system at all levels”, that “persons with disabilities receive the support required, within the general education system, to facilitate their effective education”, and that essential staff training “shall incorporate disability awareness and the use of appropriate augmentative and alternative modes, means and formats of communication, educational techniques and materials to support persons with disabilities.”

Further information on the Convention is available on the UN website, as are the UN Committee’s Concluding Observations.