Persons with disabilities still face employment challenges in many countries

Employment remained a challenge for persons with disabilities in many countries, a United Nations expert told the Commission for Social Development.

Shuaib Chalklen, the Commission’s Special Rapporteur on Disability, urged Member States to strengthen the inclusion of people with disabilities and their needs in humanitarian responses, and encouraged greater understanding, knowledge and social awareness about them in order to eliminate discrimination and negative attitudes and facilitate their full participation in society.

He said that he had visited lot’s of UN member-states and one major challenge in the countries had been the fact that they had to close facilities for people with disabilities so as to ensure their full inclusion and participation in the community.

He recommended to the Commission that the United Nations focal point for disability, with support from other United Nations entities, including regional commissions, take the initiative to establish and improve a mechanism that would better facilitate the sharing of information and experiences among the regional decades for persons with disabilities.

The Rapporteur also proposed raising greater awareness about the conditions of refugees with disabilities in conflict areas, saying their needs should be taken into account when planning interventions.

Afterwards the Commission successfully began its general debate on the review of United Nations plans and programmes of action pertaining to such social groups as persons with disabilities, youth, older persons and families.

source: United Nation