TreeHouse supports the UN Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities

TreeHouse, the national charity for autism education, submitted evidence to the Joint Committee on Human Rights earlier this week, supporting the full ratification of the UN Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities. 41 Governments are already on board and yet when they meet next week in New York to consider implementation, the UK will not be present.

TreeHouse also joined forces with Scope today as they handed in a 50,000 name petition to Downing Street promoting the rights of disabled people. The petition urges Mr Jonathan Shaw MP, the newly appointed Minister for Disabled People, to give evidence on the Governments approach on the United Nations Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities.

Sasha Daly, TreeHouse Policy and Parliamentary Manager, said: TreeHouse will be marking this years International Day for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities on 3 December with an event called Walk In Our Shoes. This week long national event will see MPs and Councillors from across England spend time with families affected by autism in order to see first hand the challenges they face, but also the enormous potential children with autism have if given the right support and education.

The UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities is a vitally important document for disabled people. It explicitly sets out disabled peoples right to life, dignity, freedom, equality and justice, and provides specific direction on how human rights should be interpreted from the perspective of disabled people. The UK Government still has reservations in a number of areas including Education, Armed Forces, Mental Capacity and Asylum/Immigration.