![]() |
Unapei is a member of Inclusion Europe.
Unapei is an organisation that fights for the rights Recently, French departments have been making This means that local associations and support Unapei does not think this is fair because persons with They want action now. Unapei has asked for a meeting between the people who control the |
Unapei is a member of Inclusion Europe and the leading French NGO defending the rights and interests of persons with intellectual disabilities and their families. It brings together many local and regional NGOs in a combined effort to promote the inclusion of people with intellectual disabilities and their families.
Earlier this year, the French administrative department of Essonne announced not being able to continue paying social assistance for disability. Subsequently, the Northern Department has declared they plan to lower the financial assistance for the disability sector by €10 million over the course of three years. Unapei has stepped in to break this chain of events and stop any further detrimental cuts by issuing a press release calling for national intervention.
These cuts propose removing a substantial proportion of the disability budget with inevitable and significant consequences on the daily lives of the most vulnerable. Whilst appreciative of the complex financial environment the North department is facing, Unapei does not accept the notion that institutions, services and human resources providing vital support are potential financial adjustment variables.
The budget proposals threaten the EU strategy to promote smart, sustainable and inclusive growth (commonly known as Europe 2020) and challenges the French government’s commitment to the United Nations Rights of Persons with Disabilities, particularly Article 25, which states health services needed by persons with disabilities must be provided.
Unapei feels the disability sector is often the first to receive financial evaluation in times of hardship. The parents of people with disabilities do not take their daily services for granted but rely heavily on their presence. Unfortunately, those suffering at the hands of these budget cuts were not consulted on the decision.
In consideration of the serious financial difficulties many French departmental authorities are facing, Unapei has requested an urgent consultation between organisations representing people with disabilities and the national government treasury in hopes of devising policies supportive and inclusive of persons with intellectual disabilities.
To read Unapei’s press release, please click here