Frostadóttir says disability rights law must put pressure on government

Icelandic Prime Minister Kristrún Frostadóttir hopes enshrining the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in law will improve disabled people’s daily lives and increase their trust in the system, mbl.is reports.

She spoke in a video message to a symposium organised by the ÖBÍ rights organisation at Harpa, a venue, marking one year since Iceland’s parliament passed the legislation. The convention includes rights such as equal access, protection from discrimination, participation on one’s own terms and appropriate accommodation.

Asked what the legislation had meant for Icelandic society, Frostadóttir said it had raised the profile of disability issues and put more pressure on the government to respect the convention. She said public reactions had been largely positive, adding that continued advocacy was needed and that campaigners could rely on the government.

Frostadóttir also acknowledged concerns that disputes between central government and municipalities over funding can prevent disabled people from getting support they need and are entitled to. She said the two levels of government could work better together, citing recent efforts on nursing homes and support for children with complex needs, while noting that more remained to be done.

Disagreements over responsibilities and funding should not be an excuse for inaction, she said. Enshrining rights in law can create pressure and encourage the search for solutions, even before every issue between the state and municipalities has been resolved.

Asked what she would hope to report on the fifth anniversary of the legislation, Frostadóttir said she wanted to be able to say it had made a real difference to the daily lives of disabled people and, more broadly, everyone living in Iceland.