As the United Nations (UN) prepares to examine the UK’s track record on disabled people’s rights today, new analysis from the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC), the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland (ECNI), the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission (NIHRC) and the Scottish Human Rights Commission (SHRC) shows that disabled people are losing support to enable them to take part in community life, go out to work and see friends and family.

After years of cuts to authorities who fund care across the UK, the organisations argue that many disabled people who need support to live independently in the community are not getting help, or are only getting the bare minimum.

This is just one of a number of threats to disabled people’s rights highlighted in a report from the UK’s national human rights and equality commissions.

Other key areas for concern include:

Today the UK will be examined by the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in Geneva. The same Committee last year judged that changes to social security had led to ‘grave and systematic violations’ of disabled people’s rights.

Speaking on behalf of the Independent Monitoring Mechanism set up to monitor disabled people’s rights in the UK, chair of the Equality and Human Rights Commission, David Isaac, said: “There is a real concern that disabled people are being increasingly marginalised and shut out of society as they bear the brunt of the accumulated impact of cuts in public spending.

“Disabled people have won hard fought battles in recent decades to ensure that they can live independently to exercise choice and control over their support. Evidence of regression must be confronted and urgently addressed.

“As the UK and devolved governments’ track record on disability rights comes under the international microscope, we call for concerted action to remove the barriers in society that prevent disabled people living full lives on equal terms with non-disabled people. Everyone is entitled to the same opportunities and respect – the governments must start taking the human rights of disabled people more seriously.”