Advancing Ireland’s National Disability Strategy:
Building on Comparative and International
Innovation
Centre for Disability Law and Policy,
National University of Ireland Galway/ Ollscoil na hÉireann, Gaillimh
December 10, 2010
Using indicators of disability equality to
measure progress in implementation of
CRPD
Jerome Bickenbach
Swiss Paraplegic Research
Convention on the Rights of Persons with
Disabilities
Article 31 - Statistics and data collection
1.  States Parties undertake to collect appropriate information,
including statistical and research data, to enable them to
formulate and implement policies to give effect to the present
Convention.
Article 33 - National implementation and monitoring
2. States Parties shall … establish a framework, including one or
more independent mechanisms, as appropriate, to promote,
protect and monitor implementation of the present Convention.
Standard Monitoring Scheme
Rights determine the goals
Targets operationalise goals
Indicators are measurements of targets
Data sources provide measurement data
MDG’s: Monitoring in terms of Goals and
Targets
The benefits and dangers of rights The benefits and dangers of rights Gaining the benefits but avoiding the
dangers… Take care to interpret rights…
concretely
narrowly
realistically
focused but flexable …
So that implementation can be
monitored and MEASURED
Choice of indicators must satisfy these criteria:
•  Population data available
•  Data can be disaggregated for PwDs and others
•  Longitudinal
*****
•  A change in the measure clearly represents
progress towards equality.
UK Office for Disability Issues, 2005
Path A … Does the State Party have an disability antidiscrimination law?
Cost of
obtaining
monitoring
data
c. 0
Value of
data for
monitoring
of CRPD
c.
0
European Disability Strategy 2010-2020: A Renewed Commitment
to a Barrier-Free Europe (15.11.2010)
3 — Statistics and data collection and monitoring
The Commission will work to streamline information on disability collected through
EU social surveys (EU Statistics on Income and Living Conditions, Labour
Force Survey ad hoc module, European Health Interview Survey), develop a
specific survey on barriers for social integration of disabled people and present a
set of indicators to monitor their situation with reference to key Europe 2020
targets (education, employment and poverty reduction). The EU Fundamental
Rights Agency is requested to contribute to this task, within the framework of its
mandate, by data collection, research and analysis.
The Commission will also establish a web-based tool giving an overview of the
practical measures and legislation used to implement the UN Convention.
EU action will support and supplement Member States’ efforts to collect statistics and
data that reflect the barriers preventing people with disabilities from exercising
their rights.
Supplement the collection of periodic disability-related statistics
with a view to monitoring the situation of persons with disabilities.
European Disability Strategy 2010-2020: List of Actions
Article 27 - Work and employment
1. States Parties recognize the right of persons
with disabilities to work, on an equal basis with
others; this includes the right to the opportunity to gain
a living by work freely chosen or accepted in a labour
market and work environment that is open, inclusive and
accessible to persons with disabilities. States Parties
shall safeguard and promote the realization of the right
to work, including for those who acquire a disability
during the course of employment, by taking appropriate
steps, including through legislation, to, inter alia:
....
Article 27 - Work and employment
(a)  Prohibit discrimination on the basis of disability with regard to all matters
concerning all forms of employment, including conditions of recruitment,
hiring and employment, continuance of employment, career advancement
and safe and healthy working conditions;
(b) Protect the rights of persons with disabilities, on an equal basis with
others, to just and favourable conditions of work, including equal
opportunities and equal remuneration for work of equal value, safe and
healthy working conditions, including protection from harassment, and
the redress of grievances;
(c) Ensure that persons with disabilities are able to exercise their labour and
trade union rights on an equal basis with others;
(d) Enable persons with disabilities to have effective access to general
technical and vocational guidance programmes, placement services and
vocational and continuing training;
(e) Promote employment opportunities and career advancement for persons
with disabilities in the labour market, as well as assistance in finding,
obtaining, maintaining and returning to employment;
Article 27 - Work and employment
(f) Promote opportunities for self-employment, entrepreneurship, the
development of cooperatives and starting one’s own business;
(g) Employ persons with disabilities in the public sector;
(h) Promote the employment of persons with disabilities in the private sector
through appropriate policies and measures, which may include
affirmative action programmes, incentives and other measures;
(i) Ensure that reasonable accommodation is provided to persons with
disabilities in the workplace;
(j) Promote the acquisition by persons with disabilities of work experience in
the open labour market;
(k) Promote vocational and professional rehabilitation, job retention and
return-to-work programmes for persons with disabilities.
IS COMPROMISE POSSIBLE? Relevant CRPD indicators …supported with data that can be feasibly collected? Central Statistics Office
National Disability Survey, 2006
Section 1
Type of Disability
Section 2
Caring and Help from Other Persons
Section 3
Attitudes of Other People
Section 4
Transport
Section 5
Built Environment Accessibility
Section 6
Education
Section 7
Work and Training
Section 8
Social Participation
Section 9
Sport and Exercise
Section 10 General and Demographic Information
Central Statistics Office
National Disability Survey, 2006
Section 1 Type of Disability
[Seeing, Hearing, Speech, Mobility and dexterity, Remembering
and Concentrating, Intellectual and Learning, Emotional, Psychological
and Mental Health, Pain, Breathing]
Do use USE any of the following aids for your
difficulty...
Are there any of the following aids that you
are aware that you need but do not have?
Cf Canadian Participation and Activity Limitation Survey 2006
Are there any aids, specialized equipment or services for persons who are deaf or hard of
hearing that you think you NEED but do not have?
Central Statistics Office
National Disability Survey, 2006
Section 7
Work and Training
Have any of the following reasons discouraged
you from looking for work in the last 6 months?
•  You would lose some of your current
income if you went to work
•  Lack of accessible transport
• Information about jobs is not accessible
• You worry about being isolated by other
workers on the job
Encuesta sobre Discapacidades,
Autonomía personal y Situaciones de
Dependencia
2008
Discapacidad
sin ayuda
Tipo de
ayudas
Discapacidad
con ayuda
WHAT‘S AT ISSUE?
Without appropriate CRPD indicators,
supported by relevant and available
data, there is



no monitoring
no meaningful implementation
no meaningful rights….