On International Day of Persons with Disabilities, OSCE/ODIHR Director calls for renewed efforts to counter prejudice and intolerance

WARSAW, 3 December 2015 ─ Marking the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, Director of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR)  Michael Georg Link called on OSCE participating States to strengthen their efforts in addressing prejudice and intolerance against people with disabilities.

"Despite efforts by a growing number of countries to better protect the human rights of people with disabilities, these individuals still face barriers, both legal and social, to full participation in society," said Director Link. "To help address these barriers, governments must have a clear picture of the problem by collecting detailed data on the situation of people with disabilities, including the forms of discrimination, intolerance and even hate crimes that they can face. ODIHR stands ready to assist participating States in this work."

The International Day of Persons with Disabilities seeks to raise awareness and support for the inclusion of people with disabilities in society, drawing attention to the benefits of an inclusive and accessible society for all. Collecting data on the situation of people with disabilities is one of the themes of the 2015 International Day of Persons with Disabilities.

ODIHR collects data on hate crimes targeting people with disabilities as part of its annual reporting on hate crimes. Five participating States submitted detailed data on this type of hate crime for 2014. Visit hatecrime.osce.org for more information on hate crimes against people with disabilities.