Dear Sir,

Thank you for your message and your support to the work of the Committee.

Although the Committee noted the particular situation of some groups of persons, its Concluding observations address all persons with disabilities. The situation of autistic persons was also raised very much in the dialogue.

 I hope you will continue to interact with the Committee, as it could not carry out its work without your support.

 Sincerely,

From: ASD Advocacy Australia <advocacy4asd@gmail.com> On Behalf Of Bob Buckley (A4 Convenor)

Sent: 29 October 2019 06:58

To: duhkb@yahoo.com; CRPD OHCHR <crpd@ohchr.org>; r.kayess@unsw.edu.au

Subject: Re: Concluding Observations on Australia and the UN CRPD, Sep-2019

Dear sir/madam

Please can you confirm whether of not you received the email below earlier this month?

Bob Buckley

Convenor, Autism Aspergers Advocacy Australia (A4)

website: http://a4.org.au/

A4 is the national grassroots organisation advocating for autistic people, their families, carers and associates. A4 is internet based so that Australians anywhere can participate.

Politicians and bureaucrats, note A4's policy on unanswered questions at http://a4.org.au/node/1419.

“The first step in solving any problem is recognising there is one.” Jeff Daniels as Will McEvoy in The Newsroom.

On 2/10/19 1:11 pm, Bob Buckley (A4 Convenor) wrote:

Mr. Danlami Umaru BASHARU

Chairperson,

Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities

11, Johnson St., Onike, Yaba, Lagos, Nigeria.

P.O. Box 52056, Falomo, Ikoyi, Lagos, Nigeria.

Email: duhkb@yahoo.com, crpd@ohchr.org

Cc: Ms. Rosemary Kayess, Vice Chair, rkayess@unsw.edu.au

 

Dear Mr Basharu

Subject: Concluding Observations on  Australia and the UN CRPD, Sep-2019

Autism Aspergers Advocacy Australia, known as A4, observes that your Committee published its “Concluding Observations: UN Report on Australia’s Review of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disability (CRPD), 24 September 2019”. A4 greatly appreciates your efforts to hold Australia to its international obligations in relation to people with disabilities.

A4 is puzzled and disappointed that your Concluding Observations make no reference to autistic Australians. Excluding autistic Australians from your observations leaves them feeling that a crucial human rights body fails to recognise their needs and right.

Your Concluding Observations express various concerns relating to people with intellectual and psychosocial disability. Often, the same issues are equally relevant for autistic Australians, but autistic Australians were excluded/omitted completely from your observations. It feels as if autistic people just don’t exist, and as if A4 didn’t provide a submission to the Committee that explains autistic people a) are a major part of the disability community in Australia, and b) have numerous issues some of which are shared with other disability types (e.g. intellectual and psychosocial disability) and some relate specifically to autism.

Although growing rates of autism diagnoses are seen around the world, autistic people remain a marginalised section of people with disability. Surely, the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities has a responsibility to recognise and promote the needs and rights of autistic people along with those of other people with disabilities. Or is it OK somehow that autistic people continue to be neglected?

--

Bob Buckley

Convenor, Autism Aspergers Advocacy Australia (A4)

website: http://a4.org.au/

A4 is the national grassroots organisation advocating for autistic people, their families, carers and associates. A4 is internet based so that Australians anywhere can participate.

Politicians and bureaucrats, note A4's policy on unanswered questions at http://a4.org.au/node/1419.

“The first step in solving any problem is recognising there is one.” Jeff Daniels as Will McEvoy in The Newsroom.