The disability index
The disability index, called handicapbarometer.dk (at this point only in Danish, but we are working on an English version), is an easy access source of knowledge about persons with disabilities in Denmark. It is based on a comprehensive data collection and methodically processed data.
As a result, it is a tool for anyone working within this policy area – from municipal disability councils over public officials to scientists and disability organizations.
The Danish Institute for Human Rights has a special mandate to promote and monitor the implementation of the United Nations’ Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) by the Danish Parliament, Folketinget.
The disability index should be seen as part of this effort. It does so by monitoring how the Danish state perform its obligations to persons with disability under the CRPD by focusing on ten key areas:
- Equality and non-discrimination:
- Violence
- Accessibility and mobility
- Freedom and personal integrity
- Independent living and inclusion
- Education
- Health
- Employment
- Social protection
- Political participation
We are able to compare living conditions for persons with disability to the rest of the population in year 2012, 2016 and 2020.
In 9 out of 10 areas persons with disability are considerably worse off.
When it comes to violence, discrimination, accessibility and education persons with disability have experienced worse living conditions in general.
Only in the employment area persons with disability has seen improvement – as has been the case for all groups in society in this period due to economic recovery.
The disability index has been constructed in close collaboration with advisory groups representing public authorities, public officials, scientists and not the least disability organisations. For further information on this process, we refer to the report “ The Gold Indicators ”.