Three years after Belgium was condemned for failing to guarantee the right to inclusive education in the Flemish Community for children with intellectual disabilities, the European Committee of Social Rights has made public its decision concerning education in the French Community of Belgium: Belgium is once again condemned.

1144 people participated in a study launched by Unia about obstacles that make it difficult for persons with disabilities to exercise their rights. Most respondents state that there has been no major progress in recent years. Being able to lead a decent life appears to be one of the biggest concerns.

Finding inspiration and gathering ideas on inclusive education: that was the goal of the international conference on 8 and 9 October. For this two-day conference, Unia joined forces with the Netherlands Institute for Human Rights and received support from the OHCHR Regional Office in Brussels.

Last year Unia opened a total of 2,017 cases of situations where people felt they were the subject of discrimination. This represents a 6% increase over 2016 (1,907 cases). Instances of employment discrimination were the most frequently opened cases at Unia. 

An employer should have made adaptations to enable a woman who was unable to work for a long time due to cancer to continue doing her job, according to a ruling by the Brussels Labour Court. This is the first time that a court has recognised the lasting effects of cancer as a disability. The judge ordered the employer to pay 12,500 euros in compensation to the employee for discrimination. Unia acted as intervener in the case.

Unia filed a lawsuit against an employer who had fired a female employee, two years ago, because of her illness. The Ghent Labour Court (Kortrijk division) ordered the employer to pay compensation of 22,000 euros to the employee.      

10 years: that's how long the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities has existed. On December 3, Unia is launching a campaign by and for persons with disabilities. The message? Defend your rights. 

Two disabled people have contacted Unia independently concerning the same airline company, reporting treatment that they experienced as discrimination. The company in question is a European airline that flies in and out of Belgium.