On 30 April 2025, COFACE Families Europe submitted a written contribution to the forthcoming United Nations (UN) report on care and support for children with disabilities within the family environment and its gendered dimensions. This report is currently being drafted by the UN Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities and will be presented during the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly.
As a network representing diverse family organisations across Europe, many of which include families and parents of persons with disabilities, COFACE Families Europe emphasised the need for a transition to a human rights and social approach to disability through a holistic strategy. This is why our organisation advocates for the S.H.I.F.T. guide approach, which is based on five key principles:
- Support at the community level
- Promotion of Human rights
- Independence of living
- Consideration of the entire Family environment
- Working towards an encompassing societal Transition
We highlighted the interdependence between the quality of life of persons with disabilities and their family carers, stressing the importance of integrated support systems and adequate social protection. We also underscored the necessity of considering all life circumstances, including inclusive education, employment, long-term care, health, children’s wellbeing, the importance of leisure, and the recognition of family carers’ roles. We advocated for the implementation of comprehensive policies that not only tackle the negative societal norms and cultural barriers but also promote the active inclusion and participation of persons with disabilities in all facets of our communities, ensuring that their rights are upheld, their voices are heard, and their contributions are valued.
Our contribution also addressed challenges and recommendations regarding early identification and intervention, gender equality in caregiving, and the consultation of families and persons with disabilities in policy-making processes. We pointed out a wide variety of obstacles faced by families, such as the lack of support services, and called to achieve the proper implementation of the disability rights enshrined in the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
By promoting the S.H.I.F.T. approach, the European Charter of Family Carers, Inclusive Education Recommendations, and other relevant initiatives developed by COFACE Families Europe through our contribution to the UN report, we hope to highlight critical issues that need to be addressed in order to secure the inclusive societal transition so pressingly needed by millions of families in Europe, and throughout the world.
