Anti-Discrimination An improvement of legal protection possibilities is being recommended. For example, the ability to file a claim for abatement and removal and a claim for injunctive relief in the event of perceived discrimination should be established, specifically, but not exclusively in the case of a lack of accessibility, truly effective compensatory damages should be introduced and the law in respect of the right of collective redress, which is currently only possible to a very limited extent in the area of equal opportunities for persons with disabilities, should be expanded. Legal protection and institutions However, institutions specialising in equal treatment must have adequate resources to fulfil their responsibilities effectively, particularly in the Laender. Several National Action Plans (NAP) that provide for human rights measures for groups that are especially susceptible to discrimination, such as a NAP on Disability, a NAP for Gender Equality in the Labour Market and a NAP on Integration currently already exist. According to the governmental accord, these already existing sectoral National Action Plans will be placed in a common framework and supplemented by the new NAP for Human Rights. Accordingly, the suggestions made by civil society also contain concrete measures regarding equal treatment and protection from discrimination against particularly vulnerable groups, such as persons of different ethnic origin. Sensitisation measures to counter racism and prejudice are seen as necessary both for authorities empowered by the State (police, courts, public prosecutors’ offices, etc.) as well as for the general public. Another recommendation is to create an independent office to examine allegations of discrimination and racist behaviour and abuse by public officials – in particular by police and prison guards. An anonymised job application form for the civil service is recommended to reduce discrimination against persons with foreign names who are looking for work. Additional suggestions in this area include improvements in asylum law, an improvement of the incitement provision in criminal law, data collection of racially motivated actions and the implementation of all fundamental rights for indigenous ethnic groups. Anti-racism and integration of persons with different ethnic origins Many suggestions relate to the elimination of barriers and inclusion of persons with disabilities. It has been suggested that individual provisions of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) be included in the Austrian Federal Constitution and that it be made mandatory that accessibility – as part of mainstreaming of persons with disabilities – be a consistent objective. Furthermore there should be a clear distribution of responsibilities with regard to action by the State. Accessibility and inclusion of persons with disabilities The problem of diverse and unclear standards and benefits for persons with disabilities at both the federal and the Land level is often mentioned. There are particular calls for coordination with the Laender and the creation of action plans by the Laender, as well as the harmonisation of various benefits provided by the Laender for persons with disabilities. There are 39

Select target paragraph3

Connect to a paragraph
Connect to an entity
Disable highlights
Add to table of contents