NGO Forum of the Austrian Ombudsman Board: Every year, the Austrian Ombudsman Board discusses a topic of socio-political and human rights relevance with civil society. This year's NGO Forum on 19 May was dedicated to the topic of "Human Rights First - despite the austerity package". "Despite the budget deficit and austerity measures, the promotion and further development of human rights must not be pushed to the margins of the political agenda," said Ombudsman Bernhard Achitz, who moderated the NGO Forum. Around 80 representatives of NGOs came to discuss how this can be achieved and what the focus should be on. The participants were invited via the organisations represented on the Ombudsman Board's NGO Sounding Board.
The focus was on two specific human rights issues: The rights of women and the rights of people with disabilities. The afternoon was dedicated to the latter topic. "Where is Austria lagging behind international human rights standards the most? Where is the greatest need for action?" asked Achitz in his introduction. It is not only important to consider what the implementation of human rights costs and whether it can be financed: "You can also look at whether there is a return on investment."
Naue (University of Vienna): Austerity packages have a massive impact on people with disabilities
"Austerity packages have a massive impact on people with disabilities because the existing funding problems are further exacerbated," said Ursula Naue from the Institute of Political Science at the University of Vienna in her presentation: "We have a long tradition of charity politics and too little awareness that the rights of people with disabilities are at stake." Disability rights are a cross-cutting issue and must be addressed in all policy areas.
Austria has committed itself to implementing the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. It is not only the federal government that is bound by this, but of course also the federal states and municipalities. However, monitoring centres can only observe implementation, says Naue: "They have no pressure mechanisms and no means of enforcement. We as a society are all called upon here."
The key question is: "What is disability?" The UN CRPD defines this according to the social model of disability: people WILL be disabled. In Austria, however, the medical-individual model of disability still takes centre stage: "Austrian legal texts believe that people ARE disabled. This has consequences for politics." Naue criticised special schools in particular: "Special schools are a contradiction to the UN CRPD and stand in the way of a good and self-determined life." Education - alongside work - is central to being able to live a self-determined life.
Wegscheider (University of Linz): Budget policy is not neutral, but bound by human rights
How can human rights standards be upheld under economic pressure? Angela Wegscheider from the Johannes Kepler University Linz described the dangers of austerity packages based not on forecasts, but on analyses of the past: "Austerity measures in the years since 2008 have led to more poverty and fewer rights." Austria has cut social services, training programmes, labour market integration and innovative projects for people with disabilities.
Wegscheider warned of the long-term effects of disadvantage and segregation, e.g. through special schools or an alternative labour market, as well as the additional costs of special systems and a lack of accessibility. Government austerity measures threaten to affect people with disabilities disproportionately. Even if people with disabilities are not explicitly mentioned in many austerity measures, they would be disproportionately affected by cuts to family, social, care and health services, the labour market and education.
The UN CRPD demands that budget decisions must be made in accordance with human rights. "Budget policy is not neutral, it is bound by human rights. The impact on people with disabilities must be prioritised," Wegscheider concluded.
Nussbaum (SPÖ): Staying onerous so that there is no deterioration
Verena Nussbaum (SPÖ) referred to planned improvements in the government programme, such as job opportunities for people with disabilities in the public sector. In the healthcare sector, there will be a one-stop shop principle so that people no longer have to "run from pillar to post, but can turn to a single centre." Nussbaum: "I remain adamant that there will be no deterioration, as there is always a risk that people with disabilities will be particularly affected by austerity packages."
Fiedler (NEOS): Inclusive labour market and social insurance for people with disabilities
"The be-all and end-all, however, is an inclusive education system," said Fiona Fiedler (NEOS): "Special schools should also be opened to children without disabilities. Things are better together and everyone benefits." The labour market must also become inclusive: "People are exploited in day workshops, which is unacceptable for a society that is doing as well as Austria. Wages instead of pocket money must finally be comprehensively implemented." Social insurance coverage is needed so that those affected can retire and do not have to stay in the workshop for the rest of their lives.
Schallmeiner (Greens): Federalism puts the brakes on good projects
"The federal structure is completely holding us back on all good projects," said Ralph Schallmeiner (Greens): "We will have to hold the federal states to account." He criticised the fact that not all federal states are participating in the federal government's pilot project to expand personal assistance: "Personal assistance is a point where a lot of things are going wrong because the federal states are not even prepared to collect the money provided." Mr Schallmeiner called for a joint effort: "Government and opposition parties must pull together and cooperate more closely in the area of disability than in other policy areas."
(No one from the ÖVP accepted the Ombudsman Board's invitation to the discussion. The representative of the FPÖ had to apologise at short notice due to a family emergency).
Florian Horn from the Austrian League for Human Rights presented the
UPR tool, which documents the implementation of human rights in Austria.
