The Netherlands needs to do more to ensure people with disabilities have equal access to education, public transport and the jobs market, a United Nations commission has said.

Eight years ago the Netherlands signed the UN’s convention on the rights of people with disabilities, in which it promised to protect the rights of the disabled and to ensure their equal participation in society. But since then, the Netherlands has not done enough to meet the terms of the convention said, the UN body said.

It singled out the fact that education is exempt from anti-discrimination legislation and said that “the disparities in policy enforcement and practices across different regions and institutions lead to highly inconsistent protection and support for persons with disabilities”.  

The committee also criticised the lack of specific laws and policies that explicitly address the requirements of children with disabilities in the Netherlands.

In particular, the committee said it is concerned about the large number of children in the Netherlands who are in special education, and the long waiting lists for a place. The regular education system is not accessible enough for children with disabilities and teachers are not educated to deal with a more inclusive approach to education, the report said.

Ilya Soffer, director of disability campaign group Iederin, said the report had hit the nail on the head. “We have been banging on doors for the past 10 years to show that the position of people with a disability has worsened,” Soffer told broadcaster NOS

Junior health minister Vicky Maeijer said the UN recommendations were “a lot of homework” and that the Netherlands “must make an effort to make society more inclusive”, NOS reported.