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Peacebuilding and the inclusion of persons with disabilities
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Legal status
- Non-negotiated soft law
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Year
- 2023
- Document code
- A/78/174
Document
Protection of the rights of persons with disabilities in the context of military operations
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Legal status
- Non-negotiated soft law
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Year
- 2022
- Document code
- A/77/203
Document
Transformation of services for persons with disabilities
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Legal status
- Non-negotiated soft law
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Year
- 2022
- Document code
- A/HRC/52/32
Document
The rights of persons with disabilities in the context of armed conflict
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Legal status
- Non-negotiated soft law
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Year
- 2021
- Document code
- A/76/146
Document
Artificial intelligence and the rights of persons with disabilities
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Legal status
- Non-negotiated soft law
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Year
- 2021
- Document code
- A/HRC/49/52
Document
Vision report of the Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities, Gerard Quinn
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Legal status
- Non-negotiated soft law
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Year
- 2021
- Document code
- A/HRC/46/27
Document
Disability-inclusive international cooperation
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Legal status
- Non-negotiated soft law
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Year
- 2020
- Document code
- A/75/186
Document
Older persons with disabilities
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Legal status
- Non-negotiated soft law
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Year
- 2019
- Document code
- A/74/186
Document
The impact of ableism in medical and scientific practice
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Legal status
- Non-negotiated soft law
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Year
- 2019
- Document code
- A/HRC/43/41
Document
Deprivation of liberty of persons with disabilities
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Legal status
- Non-negotiated soft law
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Year
- 2019
- Document code
- A/HRC/40/54
Document
Right to health of persons with disabilities
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Legal status
- Non-negotiated soft law
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Year
- 2018
- Document code
- A/73/161
Document
Legal capacity and supported decision-making
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Legal status
- Non-negotiated soft law
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Year
- 2017
- Document code
- A/HRC/37/56
Document
Sexual and reproductive health and rights of girls and young women with disabilities
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Legal status
- Non-negotiated soft law
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Year
- 2017
- Document code
- A/72/133
Document
Access to rights-based support for persons with disabilities
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Legal status
- Non-negotiated soft law
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Year
- 2017
- Document code
- A/HRC/34/58
Document
The right of persons with disabilities to participate in decision-making
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Legal status
- Non-negotiated soft law
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Year
- 2016
- Document code
- A/HRC/31/62
Document
Disability-inclusive policies
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Legal status
- Non-negotiated soft law
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Year
- 2016
- Document code
- A/71/314
Document
The right of persons with disabilities to social protection
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Legal status
- Non-negotiated soft law
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Year
- 2015
- Document code
- A/70/297
Document
Mandate, working methods, work plan for the mandate
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Legal status
- Non-negotiated soft law
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Year
- 2015
- Document code
- A/HRC/28/58
Document
The right of persons with disabilities to social protection 2015, para. 57
- Paragraph text
- Second, even with a rights-based definition of persons with disabilities, it remains extremely difficult to determine whether a person is part of the targeted group or not. For instance, some countries may lack the administrative capacity required for disability determination in urban, rural and remote areas. The heterogeneity of the disability community makes targeting particularly challenging, especially in the case of invisible or episodic impairments. In some cases, corruption or medical discretion can also affect the disability assessments. Therefore, disability-targeting errors are very frequent.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2015
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
The right of persons with disabilities to social protection 2015, para. 37
- Paragraph text
- Persons with disabilities who have not acquired entitlements to a contributory pension during their working lives face considerable difficulties in maintaining an adequate level of income security towards the end of their lives, when adequate non-contributory pensions are not available. Moreover, as they are often less likely to have a partner or to marry, intra-family support as an additional source of income security is often insufficient and unreliable. Therefore, social protection programmes are necessary to guarantee income security for older persons with disabilities and to provide support services. As disability rates are considerably higher among older persons, there is a growing demand for health and social care and support services to enable them to continue living independently and with dignity.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Older persons
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2015
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
The right of persons with disabilities to social protection 2015, para. 73
- Paragraph text
- Lack of physical accessibility affects not only access to social protection programmes, but also to the provision of services and the delivery of benefits. An analysis of contributions received shows that in many countries, public and private infrastructure (e.g., schools, health-care centres and housing) is often inaccessible to persons with disabilities. Similarly, while cash benefits are commonly paid by direct transfer into bank accounts, the accessibility of bank services is not always ensured. The same applies to the distribution of benefits in kind, particularly in rural and remote areas.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2015
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
The right of persons with disabilities to social protection 2015, para. 75
- Paragraph text
- Information, materials and communication pertaining to social protection programmes must not create barriers to the participation of persons with disabilities. Persons with sensory and intellectual impairments are often particularly affected. In fact, when information, materials and procedures are neither accessible nor easy to understand, persons with disabilities have no means of knowing about the existence of programmes and their requirements. This is important also because of the greater likelihood of persons with disabilities being illiterate because of lack of access to education.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2015
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
The right of persons with disabilities to social protection 2015, para. 76
- Paragraph text
- In this regard, the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities has stressed that States should ensure that social protection measures and services are provided in an accessible manner, in accessible buildings, and that all information and communication pertaining to them is accessible. The Committee has also highlighted the importance of adopting measures to remove barriers to access to basic services, drinking water and sanitation in rural and remote areas, and to include organizations of persons with disabilities in the monitoring of their implementation.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Water & Sanitation
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2015
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
The right of persons with disabilities to social protection 2015, para. 77
- Paragraph text
- States have an obligation to ensure that persons with disabilities are actively engaged in the development of social protection systems. The principle of participation is expressly recognized in article 3 (c) of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Article 29 (b) of the Convention further requires States to promote an environment in which persons with disabilities can effectively and fully participate in the conduct of public affairs, on an equal basis with others, and to encourage their participation in public affairs. Article 4, paragraph 3, requires States to consult and involve persons with disabilities, including children with disabilities, in the development and implementation of legislation and policies to implement the Convention, and in other decision-making processes concerning issues relating to persons with disabilities.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2015
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
The right of persons with disabilities to social protection 2015, para. 79
- Paragraph text
- In most cases, however, States do not systematically consult with persons with disabilities. A majority of the contributions received for the present report illustrate either a lack of consultation or sporadic, merely symbolic processes, with unrealistic time frames. Additionally, when consultations are undertaken, they are often limited to disability-specific programmes (rather than being on overall policies or strategies on social protection) or are conducted only at the central level. Organizations of persons with disabilities need to be informed of ongoing efforts, and processes need to be clear, accessible and disability-friendly, given that organizations of persons with disabilities are often underresourced and unfamiliar with the field of public decision-making and their right to participate therein.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2015
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
The right of persons with disabilities to social protection 2015, para. 80
- Paragraph text
- States should also ensure that the diversity of persons with disabilities is represented and consulted in decision-making processes related to the right to social protection. However, persons with autism, intellectual impairment and psychosocial disabilities, as well as children and older persons with disabilities are often excluded from such consultations, because they are less likely to have their own representative organizations. Finally, indigenous persons with disabilities and persons with disabilities living below the poverty line or in rural or remote areas, face additional, multi-faceted barriers to participation.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2015
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
The right of persons with disabilities to social protection 2015, para. 64
- Paragraph text
- Disability-related needs should be considered and addressed in all areas of the social protection system. In many countries, the lack of availability of services is problematic: health coverage, for instance, does not always include specialized health services or assistive devices that persons with disabilities may need. Thus, they must bear, with their households, the cost of accessing those services or devices. Similarly, public employment and housing programmes often do not guarantee appropriate conditions for persons with disabilities to actually benefit from those programmes.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2015
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
The right of persons with disabilities to social protection 2015, para. 65
- Paragraph text
- States should ensure that benefits are sufficiently high to enable persons with disabilities to afford the goods and services required to enjoy at least a minimum essential level of economic, social and cultural rights. The Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities has stressed the importance of taking into account disability-related costs to ensure a sufficient allocation of benefits, in particular for children with disabilities and their families. The Committee has also recommended calculating benefits on the basis of the personal characteristics and circumstances and the needs of persons with disabilities.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2015
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
The right of persons with disabilities to social protection 2015, para. 66
- Paragraph text
- Like other programmes, conditional cash transfer programmes must take into account disability-related needs. However, there is growing evidence that the conditionalities attached to these programmes tend to exclude persons with disabilities owing to structural barriers. This includes, for instance, the lack of inclusive education that precludes children with disabilities from attending school or the lack of accessible information that impedes deaf persons from participating in training or meetings with the social services. In response, some conditional cash transfer programmes have opted to exempt persons with disabilities from the conditionalities that they cannot fulfil because of existing external barriers. While such exemptions allow persons with disabilities to fight short-term poverty, they contradict the overall goal of investing in human capabilities to promote social inclusion and active participation, and represent a missed opportunity to address longer-term poverty.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Poverty
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2015
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
The right of persons with disabilities to social protection 2015, para. 83
- Paragraph text
- To guarantee progressive realization of the right to social protection, States should formulate strategies and plans that include realistic, achievable and measurable indicators and time-bound targets, designed to assess progress in its implementation. In addition, States should adopt adequate laws and policies, and disburse funds to implement these plans and strategies. States must refrain from entrusting private charities with funding responsibility for persons with disabilities, owing to the unsustainability of this approach and the possible negative impact on the rights of persons with disabilities.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2015
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
The right of persons with disabilities to social protection 2015, para. 84
- Paragraph text
- In practice, since the financial crisis of 2008, many countries have been reducing their social protection systems, disproportionately affecting persons with disabilities. In some countries, austerity measures include cuts in or caps on disability benefits, stricter eligibility criteria, the elimination or reduction of subsidies and tax credits, and reduced expenditure on community support services, such as in-home services and personal assistance. These cuts are not only affecting the standard of living of those who relied on such benefits, but also limit their capacity to live independently, often leading to their institutionalization.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2015
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
The right of persons with disabilities to social protection 2015, para. 55
- Paragraph text
- While the ultimate goal is to achieve a universal and systematic approach to social protection, in many middle- and low-income countries non-contributory
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Year
- 2015
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
Mandate, working methods, work plan for the mandate 2015, para. 4
- Paragraph text
- The establishment of the new mandate comes as important recognition of how far the global community has come in the recent past in the advancement and the promotion of the rights of persons with disabilities. In a very short period of time, there has been an extraordinary paradigm shift, a change in the way persons with disabilities have been perceived and hence treated. From its initial focus on charity and medical considerations, the international community has moved towards a model that recognizes that social and environmental barriers are the real obstacles for the enjoyment of human rights by persons with disabilities. It is in that interaction between a person with an impairment and his or her environment where discrimination and rights violations arise, resulting in disability, and it is only by addressing those social aspects that persons with disabilities will be fully included in their communities.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2015
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
Mandate, working methods, work plan for the mandate 2015, para. 5
- Paragraph text
- The United Nations system has been responsive to this shift in paradigm and become, over the years, a main actor in promoting a human rights-based approach to disability. While the General Assembly started to include persons with disabilities in its resolutions in the 1950s, human rights language became visible in the 1970s through the adoption of two declarations: the Declaration on the Rights of Mentally Retarded Persons of 1971, and the Declaration on the Rights of Disabled Persons of 1975. The United Nations system paid increasing attention to persons with disabilities throughout the 1980s, adopting in 1982 the World Programme of Action concerning Disabled Persons, and proclaiming the period 1983-1992 the United Nations Decade of Disabled Persons.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2015
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
Mandate, working methods, work plan for the mandate 2015, para. 21c
- Paragraph text
- [In addition and within the framework of her mandate, the Special Rapporteur intends to undertake her tasks through the following working methods:] Technical assistance and knowledge development. In accordance with Council resolution 26/20, the Special Rapporteur will conduct, facilitate and support the provision of advisory services, technical assistance, capacity-building and international cooperation to support national efforts aimed at the effective realization of the rights of persons with disabilities. Furthermore, whenever relevant and with a view to informing her technical advisory role, she aims to contribute to the development of knowledge and standards on the rights of persons with disabilities, focusing on thematic issues which have emerged as a priority in discussions with stakeholders. The Special Rapporteur also aims to convene expert meetings in order to be informed of the latest developments with regard to specific thematic issues and relevant laws, policies and practices.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2015
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
Mandate, working methods, work plan for the mandate 2015, para. 10a
- Paragraph text
- [The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities accelerated the momentum with regard to the rights of persons with disabilities, and increased attention to the issue within the global community. The eight years since the adoption of the Convention have witnessed a mobilization within the United Nations system towards greater protection of the rights of persons with disabilities, the key developments including:] The establishment of the Conference of States Parties to the Convention, on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, which convened for the first time in 2008 at Headquarters in New York. The annual Conference and its parallel events gather an important number of stakeholders to exchange views on progress and challenges in implementing the Convention.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2015
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
Mandate, working methods, work plan for the mandate 2015, para. 10b
- Paragraph text
- [The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities accelerated the momentum with regard to the rights of persons with disabilities, and increased attention to the issue within the global community. The eight years since the adoption of the Convention have witnessed a mobilization within the United Nations system towards greater protection of the rights of persons with disabilities, the key developments including:] The creation in 2008 of the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, which held its first session in Geneva in 2009. In response to a rapidly increasing number of ratifications, the amount of State party received, and the need for interpretation and guidance on Convention provisions, the Committee has grown from 12 to 18 members and meets for two four-week sessions and two pre-sessional working group sessions annually. To date, the Committee has reviewed 19 States party initial reports, held three days of general discussion and issued two general comments: on equal recognition before the law (art. 12), and on accessibility (art. 9).
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2015
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
Mandate, working methods, work plan for the mandate 2015, para. 10c
- Paragraph text
- [The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities accelerated the momentum with regard to the rights of persons with disabilities, and increased attention to the issue within the global community. The eight years since the adoption of the Convention have witnessed a mobilization within the United Nations system towards greater protection of the rights of persons with disabilities, the key developments including:] The inclusion of the rights of persons with disabilities in the work of the Human Rights Council. The Council adopted its first resolution on the human rights of persons with disabilities, resolution 7/9, in 2008, in which it decided to hold an annual interactive debate on the issue. Since its tenth session, the Council has held an annual discussion on a broad variety of topics, each time requesting the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) to present a thematic report on the issue under discussion. In addition, the Council has advanced in making its work accessible to and inclusive of persons with disabilities, and in mainstreaming disability in other areas of work.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2015
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
Mandate, working methods, work plan for the mandate 2015, para. 41
- Paragraph text
- In accordance with her mandate described by the Human Rights Council in its resolution 26/20, the Special Rapporteur aims to respond to the expectations of a broad range of stakeholders of an acceleration in the advances made in the rights of persons with disabilities. She intends to carry out the mandate in a comprehensive and collaborative manner, working closely with States, the United Nations system, academia, persons with disabilities, their representative organizations and other stakeholders towards concrete results. The mandate is comprehensive and presents a great opportunity for change. In order to ensure the effective implementation thereof, and in a spirit of collaboration, the Special Rapporteur calls out for support in her endeavours with a view to ensuring that her work brings about real change in the lives of persons with disabilities and the realization of their human rights without discrimination and on an equal basis with others.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2015
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
Disability-inclusive policies 2016, para. 14
- Paragraph text
- Furthermore, household poverty rates do not consider the allocation of resources within a household. Evidence shows that persons with disabilities often do not get a share of their household's resources. For instance, if resources are tight, parents may pay for the education of their non-disabled children but not for those with a disability. Studies using multidimensional indices of poverty therefore show a greater poverty gap between persons with and without disabilities. All those considerations need to be taken into account to fight poverty among persons with disabilities and to achieve the goal of ending poverty in all its forms everywhere.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Poverty
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2016
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
Disability-inclusive policies 2016, para. 36
- Paragraph text
- Although many States have accessibility standards and/or guidelines in place, often they are not compulsory or only meet the needs of persons with physical impairments. Significant gaps remain in relation to particular groups, such as blind persons, deaf persons, persons with intellectual disabilities and autistic persons, particularly in the area of information and communications. For example, most public sector websites are not accessible. Contributions to the present report show that standards and regulations on accessibility are fragmented by sector, which tends to hinder effective coordination between different institutions, departments or companies in charge of their implementation. National standards and regulations on accessibility and universal design should be designed in close cooperation with all relevant stakeholders, including representative organizations of persons with disabilities, and in accordance with existing international standards in order to ensure interoperability across countries.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2016
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
Disability-inclusive policies 2016, para. 37
- Paragraph text
- While universal design should be incorporated in all new infrastructures, programmes and services, full accessibility cannot be implemented overnight. In the interim, it is therefore important to develop strategies and time -bound action plans to make public and private facilities and services accessible for persons with disabilities. Whereas retrofitting all structures in the short term may not be feasible, requiring that all new constructions and renovations follow accessibility and universal design standards has limited cost implications. Estimates indicate that it would only add about 1 per cent to construction costs.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2016
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
Disability-inclusive policies 2016, para. 16
- Paragraph text
- Furthermore, it is impossible to measure the loss to society of excluding the talents and perspectives of persons with disabilities. Whether it is in the sciences, the arts or industry, persons with disabilities have much to contribute to society that goes unrealized when they are not given the opportunity to participate. A recently published history of autism shows how a growing understanding of the capacities of persons with disabilities and the efforts to break down barriers to participation can unleash major contributions to society.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2016
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
Disability-inclusive policies 2016, para. 31
- Paragraph text
- As with racism, sexism, ageism and xenophobia, ableism is a prevalent problem in all societies that must be acknowledged and contested. The assu mption that persons with disabilities have less value than others lies at the root of many problematic policies and programmes related to persons with disabilities. However, whereas other forms of intolerance are increasingly challenged by public opinion, ableist ways of thinking usually legitimize the rhetoric behind different forms of discrimination against persons with disabilities. The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities carries an enormous potential to challenge negative assumptions regarding persons with disabilities and to foster respect for their rights and dignity. To combat ableism, States must respect and embrace diversity by promoting awareness throughout society of the capabilities and contributions of persons with disabilities and accepting them as part of human diversity.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2016
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
Disability-inclusive policies 2016, para. 17
- Paragraph text
- There are many elements to be considered in implementing disability-inclusive policies at the national level. While full inclusion cannot happen overnight, any State can begin by taking positive and meaningful action towards creating more inclusive societies. That entails changing the way in which State officials and policymakers think about persons with disabilities and establishing a policy framework that is responsive to their demands and needs. In that regard, the present report aims to raise awareness and call the attention of States to the most pressing issues when designing and implementing any policy.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2016
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
Disability-inclusive policies 2016, para. 18
- Paragraph text
- The initial step towards establishing an inclusive policy framework involves three key aspects. First, the existence of a non-discrimination framework that prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability in all areas of life and ensures that reasonable accommodation is provided to persons with disabilities. Second, accessibility is a requirement that must be set up to enable persons with disabilities to access and enjoy all programmes and services and to participate fully and independently in society. Third, the availability of services and the provision of assistive devices that support the autonomy and inclusion of persons with disabilities, allowing them to benefit from all policies and programmes on an equal basis with others.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2016
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
Disability-inclusive policies 2016, para. 69
- Paragraph text
- At the very least, States should establish complaint mechanisms for persons with disabilities to lodge grievances against non-compliance with laws and regulations. Those grievances should be investigated and sanctioned accordingly. National human rights institutions and independent mechanisms to promote, protect and monitor implementation of the Convention can play a key role in carrying out inquiries and investigations into the implementation of policies and programmes (as required by article 33 (2)), as well as providing assistance to persons with disabilities in accessing legal remedies. Consumer protection agencies have also demonstrated that they can be an effective mechanism for challenging non-compliance with the rights of persons with disabilities.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2016
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
Disability-inclusive policies 2016, para. 27
- Paragraph text
- States need to take all necessary measures to eliminate discrimination on the basis of disability by any person, organization or private enterprise, including private schools, health-care providers, employers and providers of goods and services. Contributions to the present report illustrate that, in many cases, the non-discrimination provisions for persons with disabilities, in particular the duty of States to provide reasonable accommodation, applied exclusively to public entities, could not thus be invoked in cases of discrimination by private actors. States must enforce the provision of reasonable accommodation in both the public and private sectors.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2016
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
Disability-inclusive policies 2016, para. 59
- Paragraph text
- The promotion of gender equality is also a critical aspect to be included in disability-inclusive policies. Men and women with disabilities face different forms of exclusion and discrimination throughout their life cycle and expectations relating to their role within the family, school, workplace and the community also differ greatly and vary widely across countries. While many States have adopted legal frameworks to guarantee equality of rights between women and men, as well as national gender action plans, only a few have taken concrete action to address the specific needs of women and girls with disabilities, to enhance their participation and to dismantle the barriers they face.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Men
- Persons with disabilities
- Women
- Year
- 2016
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
Disability-inclusive policies 2016, para. 29
- Paragraph text
- States might also consider adopting specific measures to accelerate or achieve de facto equality of persons with disabilities, in order to increase their participation in different areas, such as education, employment or political participation, as foreseen in article 5 (4) of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. For instance, many States have already implemented positive measures or affirmative actions, in particular employment quotas, to combat discrimination against persons with disabilities at work. Nevertheless, it is worth noting that in the absence of human rights-based public policies oriented to combating the structural disadvantages faced by persons with disabilities, the impact of those positive measures will be insufficient to prompt a change towards more inclusive societies.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2016
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
The right of persons with disabilities to participate in decision-making 2016, para. 17
- Paragraph text
- Such participatory processes had a positive impact on the quality of the treaty and its relevance for persons with disabilities. Furthermore, the importance given in the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities to full and effective participation by all persons with disabilities represents a profound paradigm shift in international human rights law whereby persons with disabilities are not "objects" to be cared for but rather "subjects" enjoying human rights and fundamental freedoms on an equal basis with others. While the core international human rights instruments already considered persons with disabilities on an equal basis with others, before the adoption of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities those legal obligations were rarely used to advance the rights of persons with disabilities. Moreover, persons with disabilities faced significant barriers to participation in public life and often had their views disregarded in favour of those of representatives of "organizations for persons with disabilities" and other groups of "experts".
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2016
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
Disability-inclusive policies 2016, para. 51
- Paragraph text
- States should consider integrating as many assistance and support services as possible into their existing policies and programmes. In fact, to access the majority of public education, employment, justice or health programmes and services, many persons with disabilities need some kind of support or assistance. Children with disabilities may need additional support in schools, a person with psychosocial disabilities may require support in applying for disability benefits, a person with intellectual disabilities may need a job coach to access employment. States should budget and plan for such services when designing their policies and programmes.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2016
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
Disability-inclusive policies 2016, para. 62
- Paragraph text
- In the same vein, while the reasons for including persons with disabilities in more specialized or technical areas of government, such as energy, agriculture or climate change, may not seem obvious at first, it is important to do so. Policies and programmes in those areas respond to people's needs and thus can have an impact on the lives of persons with disabilities. Persons with disabilities, for example, experience the effects of climate change differently and more severely than persons without disabilities. It is therefore important to analyse the implications of all policies and programmes for persons with disabilities, to ensure that they are inclusive.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Environment
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2016
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
The right of persons with disabilities to participate in decision-making 2016, para. 52
- Paragraph text
- Securing sustainable funding is one of the main challenges faced by representative organizations of persons with disabilities. Contributions to the present report illustrate that some States have established temporary or permanent funds to support the functioning of these representative organizations as well as the participation of persons with disabilities in various decision-making processes. While those schemes are important for the sustainability of representative organizations, the broad discretion of State authorities to allocate resources is of concern, as it may affect the independence and autonomy of organizations. Moreover, it is worrisome that in some cases, State funds are only intended for the provision of services, which limits the funding opportunities for existing and potential organizations focusing primarily on advocacy.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2016
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
The right of persons with disabilities to participate in decision-making 2016, para. 53
- Paragraph text
- When organizations are unable to access domestic funds to support their activities, due either to a lack of or the limited availability of government funding, or a lack of interest by the private sector, they often rely on external sources. In such cases, donors' preferences for funding activities rather than core institutional functions, as well as their sometimes narrow agendas, can prevent representative organizations of persons with disabilities from establishing a viable organizational structure. Such trends have an impact on organizations' long-term planning and engagement in a given area. Furthermore, the lack of a financial or funding history prevents many grass-roots organizations from applying for any type of funding.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2016
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
The right of persons with disabilities to participate in decision-making 2016, para. 54
- Paragraph text
- The recommendation formulated by the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities to increase the public resources available for representative organizations of persons with disabilities, including those representing children with disabilities, should be implemented to enable them to fulfil their role under the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. States should not only economically support the establishment and strengthening of organizations of persons with disabilities, but also allow them to access foreign funding as a part of international cooperation, which CSOs are also entitled to benefit from.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2016
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
The right of persons with disabilities to participate in decision-making 2016, para. 56
- Paragraph text
- Representative organizations of persons with disabilities should build collaborative relationships with other actors, including CSOs from other sectors, NGOs, human rights defenders, providers of services, political parties, multilateral organizations and international cooperation agencies, to work collectively for respect of the human rights and fundamental freedoms of persons with disabilities. Collaboration requires a common understanding of the human rights-based approach to disability, thus avoiding charity-based and paternalistic approaches. The rights of persons with disabilities are not "disability-specific" rights but universal human rights that apply to all human beings.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2016
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
The right of persons with disabilities to participate in decision-making 2016, para. 49
- Paragraph text
- Pursuant to their obligations under the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, States should strengthen the capacity of representative organizations of persons with disabilities to participate in policymaking, by providing capacity-building and training on a rights-based approach to disability. States should also build the competencies, knowledge and skills required by representative organizations to advocate for their full and effective participation in society (e.g. on topics such as strategic planning, communication, information disclosure, stakeholder consultations, networking, advocacy and independent monitoring mechanisms).
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2016
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
The right of persons with disabilities to participate in decision-making 2016, para. 31
- Paragraph text
- As persons with disabilities constitute at least 15 per cent of the global population, which equates to 1 billion people, their participation in the implementation of policies and programmes can have a profound effect on societies. Their ability to actively participate in the labour market, education, family life, leisure, culture and sport on an equal basis with others requires the breaking down of multiple cross-cutting attitudinal, structural and physical barriers. The inclusion of persons with disabilities in all matters, including but not limited to disability-specific processes, directly tackles these barriers and avoids the creation of new ones. Their active inclusion sends a clear message to decision makers and the society at large that persons with disabilities are rights holders capable of participating and engaging meaningfully at all levels of society.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2016
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
The right of persons with disabilities to participate in decision-making 2016, para. 32
- Paragraph text
- There is increasing recognition that participation is a critical component of good governance and democracy. Civil society is an important vehicle for channelling the interests and expectations of its members and groups who may be experiencing barriers in participation. CSOs are strategic actors that can encourage States' transparency and accountability and can encourage States to fight inequality and exclusion. Organizations of persons with disabilities can play an important role in promoting effective governance, holding authorities accountable and making them responsive to their needs, and in improving public management and human rights protection. Responses to the questionnaire highlighted numerous good practices regarding the participation of persons with disabilities in public decision-making, which demonstrate their role and added value in policy design and in the subsequent implementation and monitoring processes.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2016
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
Access to rights-based support for persons with disabilities 2017, para. 19
- Paragraph text
- Regretfully, there is little public and political interest or attention to the support needs of persons with disabilities. In many countries, support is not included in national legislation and policies and, when available, it is an underfunded residual service with scarce provision that does not match people's needs. Moreover, whereas there are some forms of formal support for persons with disabilities in many high-income countries, this is not the case in many low- and middle-income countries. Consequently, the majority of persons with disabilities have to rely on informal forms of support, primarily from their families and personal networks.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2017
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
The right of persons with disabilities to participate in decision-making 2016, para. 61
- Paragraph text
- Representative organizations of persons with disabilities should promote the participation of women and girls with disabilities, as well as that of persons with disabilities from all population groups, as active members, in a spirit of pluralism and inclusiveness. While representative organizations of persons with disabilities may have different agendas and different engagement at various levels of government, this multiplicity of interests and strategies should not lead to the exclusion of specific groups of persons with disabilities. Only by embracing its diversity will the disability movement find its strength.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Persons with disabilities
- Women
- Year
- 2016
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
The right of persons with disabilities to participate in decision-making 2016, para. 36
- Paragraph text
- Representative organizations of persons with disabilities are non-governmental membership-based organizations created with the aim of collectively acting, expressing, promoting, pursuing and/or defending a field of common interest. Led and controlled by persons with disabilities, these organizations should be recognized by the sector that they aim to represent, and may use different strategies to promote their goals, including advocacy, awareness-raising, service delivery and peer support. They can operate as individual organizations, coalitions, or umbrella organizations of persons with disabilities that seek to provide a coordinated voice of the disability movement in its interaction with public authorities. Organizations of parents of children with disabilities are key to facilitating, promoting and securing the autonomy and active participation of their children, with the will and preferences of the child always being respected and their evolving capacities always being taken into account.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2016
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
The right of persons with disabilities to participate in decision-making 2016, para. 37
- Paragraph text
- The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities has accelerated the process of establishing organizations of self-advocates with intellectual disabilities, of autistic persons and of other individuals who may need extensive support to express their positions. Organizations of parents and relatives of persons requiring support have often played a role in providing such support and one can find organizations that include parents as well as self-advocates. The role of parents in such organizations should increasingly move towards the provision of support, with self-advocates in full control.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Families
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2016
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
The right of persons with disabilities to participate in decision-making 2016, para. 90
- Paragraph text
- Consequently, the establishment of any national framework for the implementation or monitoring of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities must include persons with disabilities through their organizations. These frameworks must be operated in a transparent manner and persons with disabilities must be allowed to define the criteria of representativeness in accordance with their own procedures. The autonomy and independence of the monitoring mechanisms and of representative organizations must be ensured in order to enable their effectiveness.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2016
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
The right of persons with disabilities to participate in decision-making 2016, para. 91
- Paragraph text
- The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities underscores the importance of the participation of persons with disabilities and their representative organizations at the international level. It invites States to consult and involve representative organizations of persons with disabilities in the preparation of State party reports to the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (see art. 35 (4) of the Convention). States should also consult with persons with disabilities when preparing their reports for other human rights mechanisms, such as other treaty bodies, the universal periodic review and the special procedures.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2016
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
The right of persons with disabilities to participate in decision-making 2016, para. 92
- Paragraph text
- The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities also invites States to closely consult and actively involve persons with disabilities, through their representative organizations, when nominating candidates to serve as experts for the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (see art. 34 (3) of the Convention). This provides an opportunity for persons with disabilities to suggest qualified candidates and to be nominated as members of the Committee. States should encourage applications from persons with disabilities and support their participation in election processes for this Committee and those of other treaty bodies.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2016
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
The right of persons with disabilities to participate in decision-making 2016, para. 93
- Paragraph text
- In recent years, several proposals have been made to strengthen the treaty body system and overcome past challenges, including engagement with civil society. The ability of persons with disabilities and their representative organizations to participate in international human rights monitoring requires the availability of procedures and information in accessible formats. The universal periodic review, the human rights treaty bodies and the special procedures of the Human Rights Council, as well as regional human rights bodies, should increase efforts in this regard.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2016
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
The right of persons with disabilities to participate in decision-making 2016, para. 96
- Paragraph text
- International cooperation is pivotal to support national efforts for the realization of the purpose and objectives of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, especially in developing countries. States must undertake appropriate and effective measures to foster international cooperation between and among States, including South-South and triangular cooperation, in partnership, as appropriate, with relevant international and regional organizations and CSOs, particularly organizations of persons with disabilities. Involvement and consultation by persons with disabilities is essential in order to ensure that they are both agents and beneficiaries of official development aid. States should take into account their expertise in identifying priority areas for funding, as well as key areas for capacity-building and research. Contributions to the present report illustrate the added value of establishing disability-inclusive consultative forums or working groups attached to national cooperation agencies.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2016
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
Access to rights-based support for persons with disabilities 2017, para. 13
- Paragraph text
- Support is the act of providing help or assistance to someone who requires it to carry out daily activities and participate in society. Support is a practice, deeply embedded in all cultures and communities, that is at the basis of all our social networks. Everyone needs support from others at some stage, if not throughout their life, to participate in society and live with dignity. Being a recipient of support and offering support to others are roles we all share as part of our human experience, regardless of impairment, age or social status. However, while some forms of support have been naturally integrated into social design, others, such as that required by persons with disabilities, are still marginal.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2017
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
Access to rights-based support for persons with disabilities 2017, para. 14
- Paragraph text
- Support for persons with disabilities encompasses a wide range of formal and informal interventions, including live assistance and intermediaries, mobility aids and assistive devices and technologies. It also includes personal assistance; support in decision-making; communication support, such as sign language interpreters and alternative and augmentative communication; mobility support, such as assistive technology or service animals; living arrangements services for securing housing and household help; and community services. Persons with disabilities may also need support in accessing and using general services, such as health, education and justice.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2017
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
Access to rights-based support for persons with disabilities 2017, para. 52
- Paragraph text
- Support must be affordable for all persons with disabilities. Support services represent a significant cost for persons with disabilities, preventing them from climbing out of poverty. States must ensure that support is available at nominal or no cost to the maximum extent of their available resources, and take into account the gender disparity in income and access to financial resources. Social protection systems can constitute a powerful strategy to facilitate access to support services for persons with disabilities (see A/70/297, para. 9). Qualifying conditions for accessing support must be reasonable, proportionate and transparent, and should not be limited to those persons protected by social insurance schemes. Additionally, States should include the provision of essential assistive devices and technologies in the coverage of national health insurance and/or social protection schemes, on the basis of the World Health Organization priority assistive products list (ibid.). States should also consider waiving import duties and taxes on assistive devices and technologies that are not produced domestically (ibid., para. 48).
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Poverty
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2017
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
Access to rights-based support for persons with disabilities 2017, para. 37
- Paragraph text
- Support is a cross-cutting obligation under the Convention. As part of the general obligations provided in article 4, States parties have an obligation to adopt all appropriate measures to implement the rights recognized in the treaty, including the provision of support services when necessary (art. 4 (1) (a)). States must also undertake or promote research and development, and promote the availability and use, of devices and assistive technologies (art. 4 (1) (g)), and provide accessible information to persons with disabilities about mobility aids, devices and assistive technologies, including new technologies, and other forms of assistance, support services and facilities (art. 4 (1) (h)).
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2017
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
Access to rights-based support for persons with disabilities 2017, para. 38
- Paragraph text
- The provision of specific forms of support is further referred to in articles 9 (accessibility), 12 (equal recognition before the law), 13 (access to justice), 16 (freedom from exploitation, violence and abuse), 19 (living independently and being included in the community), 20 (personal mobility), 21 (freedom of expression and opinion, and access to information), 23 (respect for home and the family), 24 (education), 26 (habilitation and rehabilitation), 27 (work and employment), 28 (adequate standard of living and social protection) and 30 (participation in cultural life, recreation, leisure and sport).
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Families
- Year
- 2017
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
Access to rights-based support for persons with disabilities 2017, para. 74
- Paragraph text
- Persons with disabilities should have access to effective judicial or other appropriate remedies when States fail to meet their obligation to ensure access. Similarly, States must guarantee that all persons with disabilities who have experienced any form of exploitation, violence or abuse in the context of support received have access to justice and effective remedies. These remedies should include adequate reparations, including restitution, compensation, satisfaction and guarantees of non-repetition, as appropriate. National human rights institutions and independent mechanisms to promote, protect and monitor the implementation of the Convention should be mandated to carry out inquiries and investigations (art. 33 (2)) as well as provide assistance to persons with disabilities in accessing legal remedies.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2017
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
Access to rights-based support for persons with disabilities 2017, para. 67
- Paragraph text
- The sustainability of support services and arrangements represents a major challenge in both developing and developed countries. Whereas in most low-income countries support is funded and provided mainly by families, charities and international non-governmental organizations, many high- and middle-income countries are reducing their direct public investment in support and are turning to non-profit organizations and community networks to take charge of these services. States usually invoke the scarcity of resources and economic difficulties to justify their failure to provide support services and arrangements to persons with disabilities.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Families
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2017
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
Access to rights-based support for persons with disabilities 2017, para. 68
- Paragraph text
- States have an obligation to mobilize resources to their maximum availability to ensure access to support for persons with disabilities. Earmarked funds aimed at covering support, close collaboration and engagement with civil society and increasing efficiency can contribute to greater sustainability of support systems. Participatory budgeting processes, when they are inclusive of persons with disabilities, can also help to expand the allocation of public funds to support persons with disabilities. Social protection systems can also constitute a powerful strategy to facilitate access to support for persons with disabilities (see A/70/297, paras. 4-9).
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2017
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
Access to rights-based support for persons with disabilities 2017, para. 81
- Paragraph text
- Article 20 of the Convention requires States to facilitate the personal mobility of persons with disabilities in the manner and at the time of their choice, facilitate their access to assistive technologies and forms of mobility assistance and intermediaries, and provide training in mobility skills to persons with disabilities and staff working with them. It also encourages entities that produce mobility aids, devices and assistive technologies to take into account all aspects of mobility for persons with disabilities. The Special Rapporteur's thematic report on disability-inclusive policies (A/71/314) provides guidance to States on how to establish a policy framework that ensures access to assistive devices and technologies to persons with disabilities.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2017
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
Access to rights-based support for persons with disabilities 2017, para. 82
- Paragraph text
- States have an obligation to ensure that persons with disabilities have access to the personal assistance necessary to support living and inclusion in the community, as provided by article 19 (b) of the Convention. Personal assistance encompasses a broad range of arrangements designed to assist a person with disabilities to perform daily activities, including getting up, bathing, dressing, getting ready for work, going out, cooking, cleaning and shopping. Persons with disabilities may require personal assistance for different lengths of time, from full time to a few hours a week, depending on their individual needs.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2017
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
Access to rights-based support for persons with disabilities 2017, para. 83
- Paragraph text
- Independent living centres and representative organizations of persons with disabilities can play an important role in ensuring access to personal assistance. They can disseminate information about the obligations of States and service providers, provide assistance in recruitment and budgeting, facilitate support groups and train those who wish to become assistants. They can also foster participatory processes for developing ethical principles and practice guidance. While personal assistants may not require specialized preparation, States should ensure they have adequate training in order to provide safe and quality support. For example, in the Republic of Korea, the Act on Personal Assistance Services for Persons with Disabilities specifies the qualifications, human resources and service providers relating to the provision of personal assistance.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Economic Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2017
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
Disability-inclusive policies 2016, para. 19
- Paragraph text
- Policymakers and other public officials must take those three aspects into account when designing and implementing any public policy or programme, as they are indispensable for addressing the specific demands and needs of persons with disabilities. Furthermore, such components can significantly improve the effectiveness and efficiency of development policies and programmes, not only for persons with disabilities, but for the general population as well.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2016
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
Sexual and reproductive health and rights of girls and young women with disabilities 2017, para. 2
- Paragraph text
- In her thematic reports, the Special Rapporteur has underscored the importance of ensuring a gender perspective in all interventions related to persons with disabilities, stressing the significant additional barriers that women and girls with disabilities encounter that can prevent them from the full enjoyment of their rights. As international and national efforts on the rights of persons with disabilities have too often failed to take into account a gender perspective, it is urgent that the multifaceted discrimination, marginalization and compounded human rights violations that women and girls with disabilities face in most societies be addressed (see A/HRC/28/58, para. 19 (d)).
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Persons with disabilities
- Women
- Year
- 2017
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
Sexual and reproductive health and rights of girls and young women with disabilities 2017, para. 3
- Paragraph text
- The present report focuses on the sexual and reproductive health and rights of girls and young women with disabilities. The term “girls with disabilities” refers to women with disabilities below the age of 18 years, whereas the term “young women with disabilities” refers to women between 15 and 24 years of age. The Special Rapporteur stresses that those women face significant challenges in making autonomous decisions with regard to their reproductive and sexual health, and are regularly exposed to violence, abuse and harmful practices, including forced sterilization, forced abortion and forced contraception. She recalls that States have an obligation to invest in the sexual and reproductive health and rights of girls and young women with disabilities, and to end all forms of violence against them.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Persons with disabilities
- Women
- Youth
- Year
- 2017
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
Sexual and reproductive health and rights of girls and young women with disabilities 2017, para. 4
- Paragraph text
- In preparing her report, the Special Rapporteur analysed 47 responses to a questionnaire sent to Member States, national human rights institutions and civil society organizations, including representative organizations of persons with disabilities, as well as the outcome of consultations conducted with girls and young women with disabilities in three countries, whose main trends are reflected in the text. She also organized an expert consultation in New York in June 2017 with representatives of United Nations agencies, women’s organizations and organizations of persons with disabilities. The Special Rapporteur would like to thank Plan International, who supported the research efforts for the study, which was undertaken under the coordination of her office.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Persons with disabilities
- Women
- Youth
- Year
- 2017
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
Sexual and reproductive health and rights of girls and young women with disabilities 2017, para. 6
- Paragraph text
- Disability is more prevalent among women than men. Women with disabilities account for almost one fifth of the world’s female population. There are no reliable and representative global data on children with disabilities. Estimates suggest that there are between 93 and 150 million children with disabilities worldwide, but numbers could be higher. Furthermore, there are very few statistics available on girls with disabilities at national and international levels, as generally data are not disaggregated by gender, age and disability. That scarcity of data has contributed to making the pressing human rights issues that affect children with disabilities, and girls in particular, invisible.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Girls
- Persons with disabilities
- Women
- Year
- 2017
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
Sexual and reproductive health and rights of girls and young women with disabilities 2017, para. 29
- Paragraph text
- The forced sterilization of girls and young women with disabilities represents a widespread human rights violation across the globe. Girls and young women with disabilities are disproportionately subjected to forced and involuntary sterilization for different reasons, including eugenics, menstrual management and pregnancy prevention. Women with intellectual and psychosocial disabilities, as well as those placed in institutions, are particularly vulnerable to forced sterilization. Despite the limited data on current practices, studies show that the sterilization of women and girls with disabilities continues to be prevalent, and up to three times higher than the rate for the general population.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Harmful Practices
- Health
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Persons with disabilities
- Women
- Year
- 2017
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
Sexual and reproductive health and rights of girls and young women with disabilities 2017, para. 31
- Paragraph text
- Other medical procedures or interventions that are often performed without the free and informed consent of girls and young women with disabilities include forced contraception and forced abortion. Contraception is often used to control menstruation at the request of health professionals or parents. Moreover, while the contraceptive needs of girls and young women with disabilities are the same as those without disabilities, they receive contraception more often by way of injection or through intrauterine devices rather than orally, as it is less burdensome for families and service providers. In addition, girls and young women with disabilities are frequently pressured to end their pregnancies owing to negative stereotypes about their parenting skills and eugenics-based concerns about giving birth to a child with disabilities. During official country visits, the Special Rapporteur has received information about compulsory regular gynaecological checks and the use of forced abortion in institutions as a way to contain the institution’s population.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Girls
- Persons with disabilities
- Women
- Youth
- Year
- 2017
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
Sexual and reproductive health and rights of girls and young women with disabilities 2017, para. 34
- Paragraph text
- Girls and young women with disabilities are disproportionately affected by different forms of gender-based violence, including physical, sexual, psychological and emotional abuse; bullying; coercion; arbitrary deprivation of liberty; institutionalization; female infanticide; trafficking; neglect; domestic violence; and harmful practices such as child and forced marriage, female genital mutilation, forced sterilization and invasive and irreversible involuntary treatments (see A/HRC/20/5, paras. 12-27). Many of those forms of violence are a consequence of the intersection between disability and gender, and might happen while a girl or young woman with disabilities performs daily hygiene, receives treatment or is overmedicated. Gender-based violence occurs at home, in institutions, in schools, in health centres and in other public and private facilities, and perpetrators are frequently relatives, caregivers and professionals on whom the girl or young woman may depend.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Gender
- Harmful Practices
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Persons with disabilities
- Women
- Youth
- Year
- 2017
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
Sexual and reproductive health and rights of girls and young women with disabilities 2017, para. 48
- Paragraph text
- States need to take all appropriate legislative, administrative and other measures necessary to ensure the provision of procedural and age-appropriate accommodations for girls and young women with disabilities, which is essential to enabling their effective direct and indirect participation, including as witnesses, in all legal proceedings, from investigative and other preliminary stages to court hearings. All protection services must be age-, gender- and disability-sensitive. For instance, the Kenya Association for the Intellectually Handicapped provides training to law enforcement officials, health personnel and service providers on the provision of reasonable and procedural accommodations to persons with intellectual disabilities and on respect for their personal autonomy.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Persons with disabilities
- Women
- Youth
- Year
- 2017
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
Sexual and reproductive health and rights of girls and young women with disabilities 2017, para. 49
- Paragraph text
- States have an obligation to prevent, investigate, prosecute and try all acts of violence, including sexual violence, and to protect the rights and interests of the victims. National human rights institutions and civil society organizations can play a key role in carrying out inquiries and investigations on exploitation, violence or abuse against girls and young women with disabilities, and in assisting all women with disabilities in accessing legal remedies. For instance, the National Union of Women with Disabilities of Uganda trained 32 women with disabilities as paralegals with knowledge about the rights of women and girls with disabilities related to sexual and reproductive health and rights and gender-based violence. The paralegals offer peer-to-peer support with regard to reporting violations and conducting the necessary follow-up to ensure justice is achieved. States should consider reparations and redress mechanisms for girls and young women with disabilities who have been subjected to harmful practices, such as forced sterilization and forced abortion, particularly within institutions (see CEDAW/C/JPN/CO/7-8, paras. 24-25).
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Persons with disabilities
- Women
- Youth
- Year
- 2017
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
Sexual and reproductive health and rights of girls and young women with disabilities 2017, para. 50
- Paragraph text
- States must ensure the full accessibility of all sexual and reproductive health and rights information and services. All public and private facilities and services open or provided to the public, including gynaecological and obstetric services, must take into account all aspects of accessibility for women with disabilities, including accessibility with regard to infrastructure, equipment and information and communications. Transport to reach those services must be accessible, as otherwise girls and young women with disabilities will continue to be obstructed from enjoying and exercising their sexual and reproductive health rights in practice.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Persons with disabilities
- Women
- Youth
- Year
- 2017
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
Mandate, working methods, work plan for the mandate 2015, para. 18
- Paragraph text
- As highlighted in the outcome document of the high-level meeting of the General Assembly on the realization of the Millennium Development Goals and other internationally agreed development goals for persons with disabilities: the way forward, a disability-inclusive development agenda towards 2015 and beyond, the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities has the unique strength of being a human rights instrument with a development perspective, equally protecting the rights of all persons with disabilities in all parts of the world. The Special Rapporteur sees this dual approach as a concrete result of how the disability work within the United Nations has been built up, with strong participation from stakeholders from the global South, and as a tool for promoting sustainable development, based on the standards, norms and principles of human rights, and inclusive of and accessible to persons with disabilities. The mandate of the Special Rapporteur embodies the added value of working towards sustainable development from a human rights-based approach, as described in Human Rights Council resolution 26/20. In this spirit, the Special Rapporteur wishes to capitalize on both the human rights and the development agendas, to address the real challenges that persons with disabilities face in their everyday lives, in which the two cannot be separated: in situations of extreme poverty and exclusion, deprived of their most basic rights and too often with a precarious standard of life.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2015
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
The right of persons with disabilities to participate in decision-making 2016, para. 59
- Paragraph text
- States should reach out directly to women and girls with disabilities, especially when cultural and social backgrounds make it unsafe for them to participate in open consultations. States must also establish adequate measures to guarantee that the perspectives of women and girls with disabilities are fully taken into account and that they will not suffer any reprisals for expressing their viewpoints and concerns, especially in relation to sexual and reproductive rights, gender-based violence and sexual violence.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Persons with disabilities
- Women
- Year
- 2016
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
Sexual and reproductive health and rights of girls and young women with disabilities 2017, para. 53
- Paragraph text
- States must recognize the existing layers of identities within the disability community in order to adequately address the inequalities and intersectional discrimination experienced by girls and young women with disabilities. States should consider developing and implementing policies and practices targeting the most marginalized groups of girls and young women with disabilities (e.g., those with multiple or severe impairments and deaf-blind girls and young women) in order to accelerate or achieve de facto equality.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Persons with disabilities
- Women
- Youth
- Year
- 2017
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
The right of persons with disabilities to social protection 2015, para. 88c
- Paragraph text
- [The Special Rapporteur makes the following recommendations to States with the aim of assisting them in developing and implementing disability- inclusive social protection systems:] Design disability benefits in a way that promotes the independence and social inclusion of persons with disabilities and does not limit their full and equal enjoyment of other human rights and fundamental freedoms;
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2015
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
Sexual and reproductive health and rights of girls and young women with disabilities 2017, para. 62h
- Paragraph text
- [The Special Rapporteur makes the following recommendations to States:] Encourage and support the effective independent monitoring by national human rights institutions or other independent bodies of all public and private facilities and programmes that provide services to persons with disabilities, prevent all forms of exploitation, violence and abuse and take action when human rights violations are encountered;
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2017
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
The right of persons with disabilities to social protection 2015, para. 16
- Paragraph text
- The objective of universal social protection, already reflected in ILO recommendation No. 202, has recently been endorsed by the World Bank and ILO in a joint initiative. As co-chairs of the Social Protection Inter-agency Cooperation Board, and together with other United Nations agencies and development partners represented on the Board, both institutions can play a major role in promoting social protection responses that are inclusive of persons with disabilities, and in providing guidance to States on how to include a disability perspective into their national social protection systems.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2015
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
The right of persons with disabilities to social protection 2015, para. 5
- Paragraph text
- While there is no internationally agreed definition of social protection, the term is most commonly used to refer to a variety of public and private interventions aimed at securing the well-being of a person in the event of social risk and need, such as (a) lack of work-related income, (b) unaffordable access to health care and (c) insufficient family and child support. In the present report, social protection is understood broadly to cover a variety of interventions designed to guarantee basic income security and access to essential social services, with the ultimate goal of achieving social inclusion and social citizenship.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Families
- Year
- 2015
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
The right of persons with disabilities to social protection 2015, para. 25
- Paragraph text
- Poverty affects persons with disabilities in a disproportionate manner. They are overrepresented among the poorest in the world, experiencing higher rates of poverty and deprivation, and lower levels of income than the general population. A study using comparable data and methods across 15 developing countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America and the Caribbean found a significant association between disability and multidimensional poverty in at least 11 of the countries studied. Persons with disabilities are also at a significantly higher risk of relative income poverty in most countries of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), with poverty rates for persons with disabilities exceeding 30 per cent in some countries. Similarly, contributions to the present report illustrate the existence of high poverty rates among persons with disabilities in both developed and developing countries.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Poverty
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2015
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
The right of persons with disabilities to social protection 2015, para. 26
- Paragraph text
- The exclusion of persons with disabilities from the labour market contributes significantly to explaining these poverty levels. Working-age adults with disabilities experience low employment rates and salaries worldwide. A study in 10 developing countries shows that unemployment and labour inactivity range from 32 to 1 00 per cent among people with disabilities, depending on the level of the impairment. Those who work do so primarily in the informal sector, which increases their likelihood of receiving a wage below the minimum rate and of not being covered by social insurance. Persons with psychosocial and intellectual disabilities are less likely to be employed than other persons with disabilities. In OECD countries, the employment rate of persons with disabilities is on average 40 per cent lower than the overall level, while the unemployment rate is twice as high. According to ILO, the economic loss related to the exclusion of persons with disabilities from the labour market in low- and middle-income countries is between 3 and 7 per cent of the gross domestic product.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Poverty
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2015
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
The right of persons with disabilities to social protection 2015, para. 27
- Paragraph text
- Discrimination and stigma, unequal opportunities, and physical and attitudinal barriers are also causes for the social exclusion and poverty of persons with disabilities. Lack of education, in particular, has a significant impact on poverty in adulthood of persons with disabilities. As research shows, persons with disabilities with higher educational attainments have considerably higher employment and income rates. Nonetheless, children and youth with disabilities are less likely to attend school or to be promoted in school, which affects their opportunities for future employment. Furthermore, measures such as the arrest of homeless persons have a disproportionate impact on persons with psychosocial disabilities and may criminalize persons in need of support.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Poverty
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Persons with disabilities
- Youth
- Year
- 2015
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
The right of persons with disabilities to social protection 2015, para. 13
- Paragraph text
- By the time the Special Rapporteur presents this report, the General Assembly will have already adopted the Sustainable Development Goals. The draft final outcome document and the Addis Ababa Action Agenda, adopted in July 2015, include important references to persons with disabilities. This reflects a growing consensus among States and successful advocacy by the disability community regarding a critical message: one of the reasons why the Millennium Development Goals have fallen short of reaching the set milestones is that persons with disabilities were completely absent from that framework.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2015
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
The right of persons with disabilities to social protection 2015, para. 14
- Paragraph text
- Social protection is a fundamental tool for achieving the proposed targets and goals, as mentioned in proposed goal 1 (End poverty in all its forms everywhere), 5 (Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls) and 10 (Reduce inequality within and among countries). In relation to persons with disabilities, goal 1 should be addressed in the short term by mainstreaming disability in all social protection and poverty reduction programmes - a task that remains a global challenge. Social protection should further be used as an important instrument for pursuing other proposed goals in the context of disability, including those of ensuring healthy lives and well-being, guaranteeing inclusive, equitable quality education, promoting lifelong learning and opportunities for all, and promoting full and productive employment and decent work for all. The Addis Ababa Action Agenda highlights the importance of financing sustainable and nationally appropriate social protection systems with a focus on persons with disabilities, among others.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Poverty
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Persons with disabilities
- Women
- Year
- 2015
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
The right of persons with disabilities to social protection 2015, para. 15
- Paragraph text
- Social protection should be aimed at achieving universality and, thus, at contributing to the objective of the enjoyment by all persons of an adequate standard of living. Universal social protection involves comprehensive systems that guarantee income security and support services for all persons across the life cycle, paying particular attention to those experiencing poverty, exclusion or marginalization. At the same time, universal social protection should entail inclusiveness, i.e. take into account the particular circumstances of all persons, including those with disabilities.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Poverty
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2015
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
The right of persons with disabilities to social protection 2015, para. 43
- Paragraph text
- States have to include the right of persons with disabilities to social protection in their domestic legal framework. Where national legal frameworks define entitlements to social protection benefits, rights-holders have a legal ground to claim their rights, and the system as a whole tends to be more stable and sustainable. While the contributions to the present report illustrate a variety of approaches, existing legislation generally falls short in guaranteeing this right in its full extent to persons with disabilities on an equal basis with others. It is encouraging to note, however, that, in line with their obligations under the Convention, States have started an analysis to assess where they stand and identify legislative gaps. This analysis is an important step for States to take towards a comprehensive harmonization process, where national legislation, policies, customs and practices are measured against the principles, rights and obligations of the Convention.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2015
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
The right of persons with disabilities to social protection 2015, para. 63
- Paragraph text
- States must ensure that social protection programmes meet the standards of quality, adaptability, acceptability and adequacy for all persons with disabilities. Accordingly, social protection programmes must be adapted to the needs of persons with disabilities in their local context; be acceptable in the light of the multiple discrimination that they face; and provide benefits of an adequate amount and duration to enable beneficiaries to enjoy an adequate standard of living. In other words, States must ensure that benefits and services offered by social protection programmes are relevant and consistent with the right of persons with disabilities to an adequate standard of living.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2015
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
The right of persons with disabilities to social protection 2015, para. 67
- Paragraph text
- To be inclusive, States should support persons with disabilities in meeting the conditionalities established by conditional cash transfer programmes. While allowing them to benefit from the programmes despite not meeting the conditionality criteria is a positive, if insufficient, measure, an intersectoral intervention is needed to guarantee access to the required services by persons with disabilities and their families. This support must also be available to parents with disabilities when they are not the direct beneficiaries, but are responsible for ensuring that the targeted members of the household meet the set conditions.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Families
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2015
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
The right of persons with disabilities to social protection 2015, para. 44
- Paragraph text
- States should ensure that provisions relating to the access of persons with disabilities to social protection are included in disability-specific legislation and in mainstream legislation and policy on social protection. Indeed, the review process should encompass legislative areas beyond the traditional scope of social insurance and disability-specific laws, including for instance legislation on education, health, employment, housing and social inclusion.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2015
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
The right of persons with disabilities to social protection 2015, para. 58
- Paragraph text
- Third, in the case of means-tested programmes, income thresholds are usually determined at the household level through direct means-testing or proxy means- testing. These instruments tend to overlook the extra cost of disability and, when it is considered, an individual assessment of personal and environmental factors affecting that cost is hardly ever made. Thus, persons with disabilities with higher support needs tend to be overlooked.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2015
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
Mandate, working methods, work plan for the mandate 2015, para. 16
- Paragraph text
- As the jointly agreed and highest international standard on the rights of persons with disabilities, the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities should guide all actions related to the advancement of the rights of persons with disabilities, including the work of the Special Rapporteur. The Convention has had an overwhelmingly positive reception; since 2006, it has been ratified or acceded to by 150 States and the European Union, and the Special Rapporteur has joined other stakeholders in a call for universal ratification. This demonstrates an acceptance by the global community of the Convention as a universal standard and a collectively agreed benchmark against which progress is to be measured.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2015
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
Mandate, working methods, work plan for the mandate 2015, para. 17
- Paragraph text
- Owing to the participatory nature of the negotiations on the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, it can be argued that the Convention enjoys ipso facto a certain level of unprecedented legitimacy, accorded to it not only by a large number of States but also by the rights-holders themselves. Persons with disabilities and their representative organizations were not merely consulted in the drafting process; their expertise was recognized and valued, and they became part and parcel of the negotiating process. This had a direct impact on the text of the Convention, where participation and inclusion are present throughout, including as a general principle (art. 3), a general obligation of States parties in relation to any decision-making process (art. 4) and a specific obligation in relation to developing a national implementation and monitoring framework (art. 33). The Special Rapporteur attaches great importance to such an outstanding participatory approach and wishes to maintain and reinforce it in her work.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2015
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
Mandate, working methods, work plan for the mandate 2015, para. 19b
- Paragraph text
- [The Special Rapporteur will be guided by the following overarching considerations in all aspects of her work:] Inclusiveness. The Special Rapporteur will work in an inclusive manner, aiming to ensure that the needs and concerns of persons with all different kinds of impairment are taken into equal consideration and that her work is age-sensitive, paying special attention to children, adolescents and older persons with disabilities. She will be attentive to the specific situation of persons with disabilities who may be subject to multiple or aggravated forms of discrimination on the basis of race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national, ethnic, indigenous or social origin, property, birth, age or other status, and the multiple layers of barriers that these intersections may create. She will also work across social and economic groups and layers and do her utmost to ensure that no one is left behind in her deliberations.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Adolescents
- Children
- Older persons
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2015
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
Mandate, working methods, work plan for the mandate 2015, para. 23d
- Paragraph text
- [The Special Rapporteur recognizes that a very important part of the mandate is to support States in the development of their national efforts to advance the implementation of the rights of persons with disabilities. To accomplish this, the Special Rapporteur will put particular emphasis on the following activities:] Country visits. The Special Rapporteur will, at the invitation of Governments, undertake country visits to learn about national realities and observe relevant laws, policies and programmes, and identify good practices and areas of cooperation and technical support to advance constructive dialogue and further developments in the field of the rights of persons with disabilities. She will study national legislation, policies, programmes and practices, and regulatory frameworks and institutions, to provide guidance to States in their activities - including, where relevant, by supporting them in implementing recommendations made by human rights mechanisms - in seeking to advance the rights of persons with disabilities in accordance with the Convention.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2015
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
Mandate, working methods, work plan for the mandate 2015, para. 23e
- Paragraph text
- [The Special Rapporteur recognizes that a very important part of the mandate is to support States in the development of their national efforts to advance the implementation of the rights of persons with disabilities. To accomplish this, the Special Rapporteur will put particular emphasis on the following activities:] Statistics and data-collection. With a view to promoting the inclusion of persons with disabilities in national data-collection systems, and guided by article 31 of the Convention, the Special Rapporteur will support efforts to collect adequately disaggregated data and statistics to enable States to formulate and implement policies to give effect to the Convention.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2015
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
Mandate, working methods, work plan for the mandate 2015, para. 25
- Paragraph text
- Guided by Human Rights Council resolution 26/20 and the call made in the Convention for international cooperation that is inclusive of and accessible to persons with disabilities, the Special Rapporteur will pay particular attention to promoting the role of persons with disabilities as both agents for and beneficiaries of development, and make recommendations thereon. In development cooperation efforts, she will, in particular, seek to promote South-South and triangular cooperation that reinforces national ownership of efforts. In addition, she will engage in the final stages of the process leading to the establishment of a new international development agenda beyond 2015, joining other stakeholders in advocating for the post-2015 period that is sustainable, inclusive and accessible. The focus of the mandate holder will be on ensuring that achievements are retained and that goals and targets are translated into meaningful and inclusive indicators, and on developing efficient and inclusive implementation and monitoring frameworks for the new agenda.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2015
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
Mandate, working methods, work plan for the mandate 2015, para. 26
- Paragraph text
- The Special Rapporteur looks forward to working closely together with other special procedures mandate holders and aims, as an initial step, to contact all mandate holders with a call to harmonize efforts and build upon each other's work. Attention will be paid to the mandate's call to address multiple and aggravated forms of discrimination by working in close collaboration with other mandates focusing on groups, such as the mandate holders on the rights of indigenous peoples, violence against women, the sale of children, the human rights of migrants, minority issues and internally displaced persons, older persons and discrimination against women in law and in pPractice. She also sees important connections between her mandate and those focusing on specific economic and social rights, such as the special procedures on the rights to health, education, extreme poverty, adequate housing, water and sanitation, and to food, as well as those focusing on civil and political rights, such as the Special Rapporteur on torture, extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions and the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Ethnic minorities
- Persons on the move
- Women
- Year
- 2015
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
Disability-inclusive policies 2016, para. 6
- Paragraph text
- Persons with disabilities experience great inequalities worldwide and are more likely to experience poverty and other forms of social exclusion. They are also less likely to be employed, receive an education, or gain access to public services. Moreover, they are more likely to be the victims of violence and contract HIV/AIDS. Deaf persons, hard of hearing persons, deaf-blind persons, autistic persons and persons with psychosocial or intellectual disabilities, among other groups, face additional challenges in accessing essential services, such as health care, education or justice, owing to existing discriminatory legal and policy frameworks, segregated facilities and/or the lack of support, including support services.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2016
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
Disability-inclusive policies 2016, para. 9
- Paragraph text
- The adoption of the Sustainable Development Goals in 2015, which contain several references to persons with disabilities, represents an exceptional opportunity for States to design and implement disability-inclusive policies for the next 15 years, as they review their national development plans to align them to the Goals. Nonetheless, while there is an international commitment to "leave no one behind" and a consensus that no goal should be met unless it is met for everyone, it remains unclear how those promises will be translated into practice by State officials and policymakers worldwide, particularly in relation to persons with disabilities; hence the need for guidance on how to design and implement disability-inclusive policies and ensure that all the Goals and their related targets benefit persons with disabilities.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2016
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
Disability-inclusive policies 2016, para. 40
- Paragraph text
- To address the widespread lack of enforcement, accessibility requirements should be established for general buildings, transportation and web regulations, as well as other statutory technical regulations. Similarly, authorizations and licences to build or alter existing structures and services should require the implementation of accessibility standards. States should also incorporate accessibility requirements into their public procurement policies and procedures and into their national public investment systems. For example, directive 2014/24/EU of the European Parliament and the Council on public procurement takes into account accessibility criteria for persons with disabilities.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2016
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
Disability-inclusive policies 2016, para. 41
- Paragraph text
- Private services provided to the public and entities open to the same must also meet appropriate accessibility standards. That includes service providers, such as private schools and medical facilities, and private businesses, such as stores or cinemas. Any facility or entity designed to serve the public at large, in particular public services, must be accessible. As most service providers and business owners are not aware of accessibility standards and the varied needs of persons with disabilities, States must provide clear guidance and support on how to address them. Financial support to improve accessibility and training to achieve compliance should be considered alongside enforcement.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2016
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
Disability-inclusive policies 2016, para. 42
- Paragraph text
- States should invest in awareness-raising and education programmes on the implementation of accessibility requirements. Well-elaborated standards and guidelines are useless unless they are known and understood by those who need to apply them. That implies sensitization and training for State authorities, policymakers and planners. Accessibility and universal design should also be incorporated into the curricula of technology institutes and universities for all careers in the areas of design, architecture, construction and engineering.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2016
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
Disability-inclusive policies 2016, para. 43
- Paragraph text
- While achieving full accessibility of the general environment and of government programmes will significantly improve the participation of persons with disabilities, it is still insufficient. The availability of affordable assistive and support services is vital for many persons with disabilities, especially the poor, to be able to fully access and benefit from policies and programmes on an equal basis with others. For many persons with disabilities, access to such goods and services constitutes a precondition for the respect of their inherent dignity and the full and equal enjoyment of all human rights and fundamental freedoms.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2016
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
Disability-inclusive policies 2016, para. 44
- Paragraph text
- Assistive devices and technologies have the primary purpose of allowing individuals to perform an activity they would otherwise be unable to do, or increase the ease and safety with which those activities are performed. In the case of children with disabilities, they have a significant impact on their early childhood development and educational outcome, reducing the need for other types of support. Common examples of assistive devices include wheelchairs, walkers, crutches, prostheses, orthoses, adapted cutlery, extendable reaching devices and adaptive switches for persons with physical impairments; hearing aids, assistive hearing technology, alarm devices, amplified telephones, deaf-blind communicators; spectacles, magnifiers, white canes, voice recognition software, Braille displays and screen readers for persons with visual impairments; communication boards and speech synthesizers for persons with communication needs; and computers and visual and talking timers for persons with intellectual impairments. Assistive devices and technologies range from low-cost solutions to high-tech gadgets.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2016
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
Disability-inclusive policies 2016, para. 72
- Paragraph text
- States should have a timely system for generating appropriate indicators, including the disability indicators outlined in the Sustainable Development Goals and the disaggregation of all indicators by "disability status". In addition, States may need to develop national indicators to address specific goals and concerns tailored to their particular country context. To produce such indicators, States are required to disaggregate data by disability. Article 31 of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities requires States to collect statistics and data to enable them to formulate and implement policies to give effect to the rights of persons with disabilities.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2016
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
Disability-inclusive policies 2016, para. 33
- Paragraph text
- According to articles 3 (f) and 9 of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, States have an international obligation to take appropriate measures to ensure access to persons with disabilities, on an equal basis with others, to the physical environment, transportation, information and communications, including information technologies and systems, and other facilities and services open or provided to the public, be they public or private, in urban, remote and rural settings. Such measures must include the identification and elimination of all existing barriers in the implementation of policies and programmes. General comment No. 2 (2014) on accessibility of the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities provides useful guidance on implementing those obligations.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2016
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
Disability-inclusive policies 2016, para. 34
- Paragraph text
- The principle of universal design is fundamental to achieving full accessibility. Universal design implies that products and environments are designed to be usable by everyone, to the greatest extent possible without the need for adaptation or specialized design. Accessibility can therefore be achieved, not merely by retrofitting existing infrastructure, but by applying the principles of universal design, where programmes, policies and infrastructures are designed with the full range of human diversity and capabilities in mind. As the Committee made clear in its general comment No. 2, universal design makes societies accessible for all individuals, not only for persons with disabilities.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2016
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
Disability-inclusive policies 2016, para. 74
- Paragraph text
- A cultural change in how disability is perceived is essential for disability- inclusive policies to be truly successful. Persons with disabilities must not be seen as objects of aversion or charity, but rather as rights holders in the same way as every member of society. An inclusive policy framework must therefore contain strong components that focus on awareness-raising and combating stereotypes and negative attitudes towards disability and persons with disabilities. Awareness - raising efforts can consist of training for State authorities, public officials, the private sector and the media, multimedia campaigns and the incorporation of disability-sensitive materials in school curricula.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2016
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
Disability-inclusive policies 2016, para. 76
- Paragraph text
- Persons with disabilities are disproportionately affected by inequalities, with significant consequences for individuals, families, communities and societies in general. In order to overcome those inequalities, States must ensure that their national policies and programmes address the needs of persons with disabilities and promote the active participation of their representative organizations in their design, implementation and evaluation. For that purpose, it is necessary to adopt disability-inclusive development strategies that incorporate non-discrimination, accessibility and support measures for persons with disabilities. The United Nations and international cooperation partners should play a crucial role in supporting national efforts for the implementation of disability-inclusive policies, including data collection and monitoring.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2016
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
Disability-inclusive policies 2016, para. 77
- Paragraph text
- With the adoption of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, most States will conduct a review of their national policies against the goals and targets of the Sustainable Development Goals. That represents a unique opportunity to include persons with disabilities adequately across all policies and programmes, as well as to ensure policy coherence and intersectoral coordination. Leaving no persons with disabilities behind requires that all States and relevant stakeholders collaborate to design and implement policies and programmes that are inclusive of persons with disabilities.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2016
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
The right of persons with disabilities to participate in decision-making 2016, para. 13
- Paragraph text
- Participation is a core human rights principle, as well as a basic condition of democratic societies. Participation allows individuals to play a central role in their own development, as well as in the development of their communities. People have a right to participate in decisions that affect their lives, including those concerning their rights. The active and informed participation of different groups, including women, children, older persons, indigenous peoples and persons with disabilities, is not only consistent with but is also a requisite of a human rights-based approach. It ensures active citizenship, good governance and social accountability.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Ethnic minorities
- Older persons
- Persons with disabilities
- Women
- Year
- 2016
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
The right of persons with disabilities to participate in decision-making 2016, para. 14
- Paragraph text
- Participation is firmly rooted in international law. It is established in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights that every person has the right to take part in the government of his or her country, directly or through chosen representatives, and the right to equal access to public service (art. 21). The principle of participation through the right to equal participation in public affairs, the right to vote and to be elected, and the right to have equal access to public service are reaffirmed in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (art. 25). Participation has subsequently been codified as a principle and a human right in other international and regional human rights instruments, including the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2016
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
Disability-inclusive policies 2016, para. 52
- Paragraph text
- Some disability-specific services may be run as separate programmes. They might comprise, among others, services that promote the autonomy and independence of persons with disabilities by providing information, training on independent living skills and peer counselling. They may also include services to help persons with disabilities in the transition from segregated facilities to living in the community. A good practice for delivering such services is through independent living centres that are run primarily by persons with disabilities. Such centres play a fundamental role, not only in the provision of services, but also in supporting individuals to advocate for inclusion and promoting broader changes at the community level.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2016
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
Disability-inclusive policies 2016, para. 63
- Paragraph text
- Persons with disabilities know best which barriers they face in their own contexts and how they impact on their lives. Article 4 (3) of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities requires States to closely consult with and actively involve persons with disabilities, including children with disabilities, through their representative organizations in the development and implementation of legislation and policies concerning issues relating to them. That includes any policy and programme, whether disability-specific or mainstream, that might have a direct or indirect impact on their lives. It is therefore imperative to include them fully in the development, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of all policies and programmes. The Special Rapporteur has developed a thematic study on the right of persons with disabilities to participate in decision-making that provides specific guidance on how to ensure that obligation is met ( A/HRC/31/62).
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2016
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
Disability-inclusive policies 2016, para. 64
- Paragraph text
- States must adopt all appropriate legislative, administrative and other measures to ensure the effective and active participation of persons with disabilities in all phases of policy development. That requires prior consultation and engagement with representative organizations of persons with disabilities before the adoption of all policies and programmes. Importantly, States should be aware that service providers may have a conflict of interest and should give priority to the views of representative organizations of persons with disabilities led by persons with disabilities themselves.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2016
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
Disability-inclusive policies 2016, para. 58
- Paragraph text
- International cooperation plays an important role in supporting national efforts for the implementation of disability-inclusive policies. States must undertake appropriate and effective measures to foster international cooperation, including South-South and triangular cooperation, in partnership with organizations of persons with disabilities. The participation of persons with disabilities is essential to ensure that they are both agents and beneficiaries of development aid. The adoption of the Sustainable Development Goals constitutes an excellent opportunity for ensuring that international cooperation is inclusive of and accessible to persons with disabilities.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2016
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
The right of persons with disabilities to participate in decision-making 2016, para. 66
- Paragraph text
- Although the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities underscores the involvement of persons with disabilities in decision-making processes through their representative organizations, it does not provide guidance on how participation should be ensured. The Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities has highlighted the need to establish formal mechanisms and protocols, at all levels of the government, to conduct systematic consultations with representative organizations of persons with disabilities. These consultation mechanisms may include institutionalized consultative bodies and other formal mechanisms for direct participation.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2016
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
The right of persons with disabilities to participate in decision-making 2016, para. 20
- Paragraph text
- Worldwide, persons with disabilities face multiple forms of discrimination that prevent them from exercising their rights to vote and/or stand for election. Inaccessible voting processes hinder the participation of persons with disabilities in elections. The denial or restriction of legal capacity often triggers a denial of political rights to certain persons with disabilities, especially of the right to vote. Similarly, being placed in a psychiatric or social institution often prevents persons with disabilities from exercising their right to vote.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2016
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
The right of persons with disabilities to participate in decision-making 2016, para. 21
- Paragraph text
- States must set objective and reasonable criteria for accessing public service positions, which do not directly or indirectly discriminate against persons with disabilities. In line with the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, States must take all necessary measures, including the provision of reasonable accommodation and support, to guarantee to persons with disabilities the right and the opportunity to hold office effectively and perform any public function at any level of government on an equal basis with others. States must also ensure that persons with disabilities are not excluded from public service positions because of inaccessible recruiting procedures, public buildings or services. Furthermore, States must take the specific measures necessary to accelerate or achieve de facto equality of persons with disabilities in accessing public service positions (art. 5), and enact policies and measures to ensure the employment of persons with disabilities in the public sector.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2016
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
The right of persons with disabilities to participate in decision-making 2016, para. 23
- Paragraph text
- Persons with disabilities may participate in the conduct of public affairs either directly or indirectly. Direct participation entails deciding on public issues through a referendum or other electoral process, as well as taking part in popular assemblies and in other consultative spaces established by the State to engage with its citizens. Indirect participation in public affairs can be exercised by voting freely to elect representatives, and through membership in civil society organizations (CSOs). CSOs comprise a wide range of non-State and voluntary organizations, associations, networks and groups formed by people within the social sphere of civil society, including representative organizations of persons with disabilities. Therefore, participation must be ensured to both individuals and groups.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2016
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
The right of persons with disabilities to participate in decision-making 2016, para. 24
- Paragraph text
- States have an obligation under international human rights law to closely consult with and actively involve persons with disabilities in policymaking, through their representative organizations. Since the adoption in 1993 of the Standard Rules on the Equalization of Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities, the international community has consistently acknowledged that policymaking and programme implementation in relation to the rights of persons with disabilities is to be undertaken in close consultation with, and with the involvement of, representative organizations of persons with disabilities. Accordingly, the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities clearly provides for the involvement and full participation of persons with disabilities and their representative organizations in monitoring its implementation, as well as in other decision-making processes, including legislative, administrative and other matters, that affect any of their rights.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2016
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
The right of persons with disabilities to participate in decision-making 2016, para. 75
- Paragraph text
- States must guarantee access to all facilities and procedures related to public decision-making and consultation. Accessibility is a precondition for persons with disabilities to fully participate in all aspects of life. Therefore, according to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, States must take appropriate measures to ensure that persons with disabilities have access, on an equal basis with others, to the physical environment, transportation, information and communications (including information technologies and systems) and other facilities and services open or provided to the public, in both urban and rural settings.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2016
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
Access to rights-based support for persons with disabilities 2017, para. 20
- Paragraph text
- Support is a normal part of community life, with families serving as the first source of support for everyone. For many persons with disabilities, family support serves as a bridge to access other assistance needed to fully enjoy their human rights. However, when no other options are available and families are the sole source of support, the autonomy of persons with disabilities and their family members is reduced. Those being supported have no choice or control over the assistance they require to pursue their life plans, and questions of overprotection and conflict of interest commonly arise. Families - especially the poorest - are also under significant pressure as unpaid familial support also affects social relationships, income levels and the general well-being of the household. Women and girls are disproportionately affected, as in practice they are the main providers of support within the household, reducing their freedom and choices to pursue their own life plans.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Families
- Girls
- Persons with disabilities
- Women
- Year
- 2017
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
The right of persons with disabilities to participate in decision-making 2016, para. 79
- Paragraph text
- Consequently, good faith should be a foundation stone of all State actions during processes of dialogue and consultation with representative organizations of persons with disabilities, and should permeate States' interpretations of their own rules for participation in public decisions. Consultations must embrace transparency, mutual respect, meaningful dialogue and a sincere desire to reach consensus. They must take place in accordance with procedures that are appropriate to the circumstances of the diversity of the disability movement and must allow for reasonable and realistic timelines.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2016
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
The right of persons with disabilities to participate in decision-making 2016, para. 81
- Paragraph text
- Due to stigma and segregation, persons with disabilities often remain invisible in society and their opinions are not duly taken into account or recognized as valid. States must raise the awareness of societies about the importance of persons with disabilities participating in public decisions and about the positive impact that they have on the decision-making. They should develop specific training programmes targeted at authorities and public officials, especially those involved in policymaking. These actions must be undertaken in consultation with representative organizations of persons with disabilities, and the active participation of persons with disabilities as teachers, instructors or advisors must be ensured.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2016
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
Access to rights-based support for persons with disabilities 2017, para. 45
- Paragraph text
- Older persons with disabilities also have difficulties in accessing support arrangements for daily life, such as personal assistance, assisted living arrangements and palliative care. While families are the most common source of support for older persons with disabilities in most countries, there is an increasing demand for institutional care, especially from family members and other informal supporters of persons with dementia, which is increasing the risk of institutionalization among older persons with disabilities. Importantly, older women with disabilities are more likely to be institutionalized owing to the different life expectancies of men and women. The provision of in-home support services, including personal assistance and help with household chores, can avoid institutionalization and improve the quality of life of older persons by enabling them to stay at home (see A/HRC/30/43, para. 72).
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Older persons
- Persons with disabilities
- Women
- Year
- 2017
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
Access to rights-based support for persons with disabilities 2017, para. 46
- Paragraph text
- Persons with disabilities belonging to groups that have been historically discriminated against or disadvantaged (such as indigenous peoples, ethnic minorities and persons living with HIV/AIDS) are disproportionately affected in accessing support arrangements and services. This also applies to migrants, persons living in conflict situations, internally displaced persons, refugees, asylum seekers, stateless persons and prisoners with disabilities, as humanitarian responses tend to overlook their support needs. Moreover, there is a strong link between belonging to a racial and cultural minority and experiencing coercion and institutionalization. Policies and programmes to ensure access to support must seek to overcome the impact of the multiple and aggravated forms of discrimination faced by persons with disabilities belonging to these groups in accessing support.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Persons on the move
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2017
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
Access to rights-based support for persons with disabilities 2017, para. 47
- Paragraph text
- Policies and programmes to ensure access to support should respond to the heterogeneous needs of the diverse disability community, which includes deaf, deafblind and autistic persons, persons with psychosocial and intellectual disabilities and persons with albinism. For example, in Kazakhstan new regulations provide that all blind and deafblind persons are entitled to personal assistance. Nonetheless, while impairment-specific considerations may be necessary to provide targeted support services for specific groups, States should carefully assess whether the adoption of specific measures that benefit certain groups may exclude others.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2017
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
Access to rights-based support for persons with disabilities 2017, para. 49
- Paragraph text
- Appropriate support services and arrangements must be available to all persons with disabilities in sufficient quantity within countries. States should consider establishing a system, under domestic law, to ensure access to a wide range of support measures. This system can be composed of a single scheme or a variety of schemes, both formal and informal. States have a duty to ensure that support is available for persons with disabilities, regardless of whether it is actually provided by public service providers, civil society, families, communities, or a combination of public and private actors. While the support provided by family, friends and the broader community is extremely important and should be encouraged and enabled, it is not always a reliable or sustainable solution in the longer term (see A/HRC/28/37, paras. 35-36).
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Families
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2017
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
Access to rights-based support for persons with disabilities 2017, para. 50
- Paragraph text
- Support systems should ensure the availability of an adequate number of functioning programmes and services to provide the fullest possible range of support to the diverse population of persons with disabilities, including communication support, support in decision-making, mobility support, personal assistance, living arrangements services and community services. Ensuring the availability of a reliable, skilled and trained workforce, including sign language interpreters, interpreters for the deafblind, personal assistants and other intermediaries, is a critical component of ensuring the availability of support. Assistive devices and technologies for persons with disabilities should also be available.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2017
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
Access to rights-based support for persons with disabilities 2017, para. 51
- Paragraph text
- Support services and arrangements should be accessible to all persons with disabilities, especially the most disadvantaged ones, without discrimination of any kind. States must ensure that support is available within safe physical and geographical reach for everyone, including those living in institutions. All facilities and services providing support, public and private, including information and communications technologies and systems, must be accessible for the diverse disability community. States must take positive measures to ensure that persons with disabilities living in rural and remote areas also have access to support services and arrangements. Dissemination of information about existing services and social protection schemes must also be ensured.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2017
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
Access to rights-based support for persons with disabilities 2017, para. 15
- Paragraph text
- For most persons with disabilities, access to quality support is a necessary precondition for living and fully participating in the community on the basis of choices equal to others. Without adequate support, persons with disabilities are at risk of falling into neglect and institutionalization. The provision of appropriate support is necessary to the realization of the full spectrum of human rights and enables persons with disabilities to achieve their full potential, thus contributing to the overall well-being and diversity of the communities in which they live. For many persons with disabilities, support represents an essential precondition for their active and meaningful participation in society, while preserving their dignity, autonomy and independence.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2017
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
Access to rights-based support for persons with disabilities 2017, para. 16
- Paragraph text
- The existence of social and environmental barriers creates the need for support. For example, persons with disabilities who live in inaccessible communities may require greater support than if they lived in accessible ones. Individual support needs also vary according to personal factors, including level of impairment, age, socioeconomic status and ethnic origin. While the existence of strong non-discrimination legal frameworks and fully accessible general environments significantly facilitate the participation of persons with disabilities, many of them may still require support measures to be able to participate in the community on an equal basis with others.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2017
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
Access to rights-based support for persons with disabilities 2017, para. 17
- Paragraph text
- Persons with disabilities constitute 15 per cent of the world population, approximately one billion people. Many of them require different forms of support, including for basic day-to-day activities such as getting up, bathing, dressing and eating. The sustained ageing of the global population, particularly in high-income countries, has also had a substantial impact on the demand for disability-related support, as older persons tend to be overrepresented in the disability community. Other sociopolitical factors such as conflict and migration increase the demand for support, as support networks tend to fall apart in such situations.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Older persons
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2017
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
Access to rights-based support for persons with disabilities 2017, para. 85
- Paragraph text
- Persons with psychosocial disabilities can benefit significantly from community support services. Peer support, for example, is an effective tool to support people experiencing severe emotional distress and prevent coercion in mental health services, as well as providing them with community-based support. In the case of persons with albinism, the provision of adequate housing and community support are essential protection measures to prevent abductions and attacks. Contributions to the present report show a growing interest on the part of States in community support. In Chile, for example, the State created a programme that funds civil society organizations to provide support services for independent living. During its first year of existence, 40 projects were financed in 13 of the 15 regions of the country.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2017
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
Access to rights-based support for persons with disabilities 2017, para. 86
- Paragraph text
- States should close all group living arrangement for persons with disabilities of any size that do not allow residents to participate in the community on an equal basis with others. In particular, States must establish an immediate moratorium on new admissions to institutions and set up a policy framework to guide deinstitutionalization processes. This framework should include the adoption of a plan of action with clear timelines and concrete benchmarks, the redistribution of public funds from institutions to community services and the development of adequate community support for persons with disabilities such as housing assistance, home support, peer support and respite services. Evidence shows that, when adequately planned and resourced, community services are much more cost-effective than institutional care.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2017
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
Access to rights-based support for persons with disabilities 2017, para. 44
- Paragraph text
- Children with disabilities and their families require different types of support services, especially in the education and health sectors. They include assistive technology, communication support and individualized education plans, and information and assistance to families of children with disabilities in need. For too long, children and adolescents with disabilities have been mere recipients of "special care", when this is available at all, which resulted in widespread segregation, institutionalization and neglect. Instead, States must organize support services and measures that foster their well-being and enable them to realize their full potential. Families need help to understand disability in a positive way and to know how to help support their children to be autonomous and independent. Limited understanding of care can hinder their right to express their views freely on all matters affecting them, in accordance with their age and maturity, and to be provided with disability- and age-appropriate assistance to realize that right.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2017
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
Sexual and reproductive health and rights of girls and young women with disabilities 2017, para. 24
- Paragraph text
- Furthermore, in many parts of the world, girls and young women with disabilities are often entirely excluded from the education system, or otherwise isolated from their communities at home or in institutions, and are without any access to sexuality education. The lack of equal access to inclusive and quality education affects, in particular, girls and young women with disabilities in conflict, post-conflict or other humanitarian situations, especially those who are refugees, internally displaced, migrants or asylum seekers; deprived of their liberty in hospitals, residential institutions, juvenile or correctional facilities; or homeless or living in poverty. Girls and young women in such situations are at heightened risk of being subjected to physical or sexual abuse and contracting sexually transmitted infections.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Persons on the move
- Persons with disabilities
- Women
- Youth
- Year
- 2017
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
Sexual and reproductive health and rights of girls and young women with disabilities 2017, para. 25
- Paragraph text
- Girls and young women with disabilities frequently have limited access to sexual and reproductive health-care services. Common barriers to accessing those services include negative and hostile attitudes among service providers; the absence of physical accessibility with regard to buildings and equipment (e.g., exam tables and diagnostic equipment); the lack of information in accessible formats (e.g., in Braille or plain language); communication barriers (e.g., the lack of training for service providers on communicating with young women and girls with intellectual disabilities and the inability to use sign language); relatives and caregivers acting as gatekeepers to information and services; the lack of accessible transportation to or from services; the affordability of services; and the isolation of girls and young women with disabilities in institutions, camps, family homes or group homes. Moreover, many women and girls with disabilities report that their specific needs and expectations are not met by gynaecological services.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Persons with disabilities
- Women
- Youth
- Year
- 2017
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
Sexual and reproductive health and rights of girls and young women with disabilities 2017, para. 9
- Paragraph text
- For women with disabilities, disability inclusion and gender equality cannot be achieved without addressing their sexual and reproductive health and rights. In particular, girls and young women with disabilities are able to develop their own identities and realize their full potential when their sexual and reproductive health needs and rights are met. That contributes to ensuring their health and well-being, reducing the existing gaps in their access to education and employment and achieving their empowerment. When those needs and rights are not met, they are exposed to unintended pregnancies, sexually transmitted diseases, gender-based violence and sexual abuse, child marriage and other harmful practices that hamper their participation.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Persons with disabilities
- Women
- Youth
- Year
- 2017
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
Sexual and reproductive health and rights of girls and young women with disabilities 2017, para. 10
- Paragraph text
- Sexual and reproductive health and rights are human rights. They are not only an integral part of the right to health, but are necessary for the enjoyment of many other human rights, including the rights to life, freedom from torture and ill-treatment, freedom from discrimination, equal recognition before the law, privacy and respect for family life, education and work. As such, sexual and reproductive health and rights are universal and inalienable, indivisible, interdependent and interrelated. States must ensure the availability, accessibility, acceptability and quality of facilities, goods, information and services related to sexual and reproductive health and rights.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Families
- Year
- 2017
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
Sexual and reproductive health and rights of girls and young women with disabilities 2017, para. 11
- Paragraph text
- Sexual and reproductive health and rights entail a set of freedoms and entitlements. They encompass the right to have control over decisions concerning sexuality and reproduction without discrimination, coercion and violence, and the right to access a range of sexual and reproductive health facilities, services, goods and information. Sexual and reproductive health services include, inter alia, contraceptive counselling, information, education, communication and services; education and services for prenatal care, safe delivery and postnatal care; the prevention and appropriate treatment of infertility; safe abortion services; the prevention and treatment of sexually transmitted and reproductive tract infections; and sexual and reproductive health information, education and counselling (see A/CONF.171/13/Rev.1, chap. VII).
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2017
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
Sexual and reproductive health and rights of girls and young women with disabilities 2017, para. 51
- Paragraph text
- States must ensure that all information and communication pertaining to sexual and reproductive health and rights are accessible to persons with disabilities, including through sign language, Braille, accessible electronic formats, alternative script, easy-to-read formats, and augmentative and alternative modes, means and formats of communication.64 For instance, call centres to report cases of gender-based violence must be accessible to deaf and hard-of-hearing girls and women through text messaging or other alternative methods. For example, Illinois Imagines has developed guides and other materials for rape crisis centres, disability service agencies and self-advocates that include guidance for prevention education programmes and picture guides about sexual assault exams and the rights of sexual violence survivors. The University of Tartu in Estonia has provided training for teachers on how to deliver comprehensive sexuality education in plain language so that children with intellectual disabilities can benefit equally from the lessons.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Girls
- Persons with disabilities
- Women
- Year
- 2017
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
Sexual and reproductive health and rights of girls and young women with disabilities 2017, para. 35
- Paragraph text
- Evidence on sexual and gender-based violence against girls and young women with disabilities is robust. Studies from across the globe show that they are at increased risk of violence, abuse and exploitation compared with those without disabilities, and with boys and young men with disabilities. Overall, children with disabilities are almost four times more likely to experience violence than children without disabilities. However, the risk is consistently higher in the case of deaf, blind and autistic girls, girls with psychosocial and intellectual disabilities and girls with multiple impairments. Belonging to a racial, religious or sexual minority, or being poor, also increases the risk factor for sexual abuse for girls and young women with disabilities. Humanitarian crises and conflict and post-conflict settings generate additional risks of sexual violence and trafficking that affect girls with disabilities.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Humanitarian
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Boys
- Children
- Girls
- Persons with disabilities
- Women
- Year
- 2017
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
Sexual and reproductive health and rights of girls and young women with disabilities 2017, para. 37
- Paragraph text
- Physical and communication barriers in the justice system hinder access to justice by girls and young women with disabilities and their ability to seek and obtain redress. The barriers include lack of accessibility and reasonable and procedural accommodations, such as sign language interpretation, alternative forms of communication and support services that are age- and gender-sensitive. For example, the lack of provision of sign language interpretation can significantly limit the chances of success of deaf applicants. Moreover, owing to prejudices and stereotypes, courts commonly discount the testimony of girls and young women with disabilities in sexual assault cases, from questioning whether girls and young women with intellectual disabilities can understand the oath when testifying to discrediting the testimony of blind witnesses because they are not “able” to know/perceive the sequence of events. Courts often also fail to develop child-friendly proceedings adapted to the particular circumstances of girls with disabilities, including the provision and delivery of gender-sensitive and child-friendly information.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Persons with disabilities
- Women
- Youth
- Year
- 2017
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
Sexual and reproductive health and rights of girls and young women with disabilities 2017, para. 39
- Paragraph text
- States must ensure a supportive legislative and regulatory framework for the sexual and reproductive health and rights of girls and young women with disabilities. Existing general laws and regulations that restrict the free access of girls and women to sexual and reproductive health services, including by requiring spousal or parental consent or setting a minimum age, should be amended to facilitate universal and equitable access to sexual and reproductive health information and services. Narrow definitions of sexual violence, including sexual assault and rape, should be reviewed to include all forms of violence experienced by girls and young women with disabilities.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Persons with disabilities
- Women
- Youth
- Year
- 2017
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
Sexual and reproductive health and rights of girls and young women with disabilities 2017, para. 17
- Paragraph text
- While attention to the sexual and reproductive health and rights of girls and women with disabilities increased following the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development of 1994 and the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action of 1995, it is in the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities that States and the international human rights system restated their commitment to promote and protect the rights of girls and young women with disabilities in that area. For example, the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights issued a general comment on the right to sexual and reproductive health with specific references to persons with disabilities, including accessibility and reasonable accommodation. The Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women and the Committee on the Rights of the Child have also highlighted the importance of ensuring sexual and reproductive health services and ending sexual violence and harmful practices against women and girls with disabilities. The special procedures of the Human Rights Council have also addressed the issue of sexual and reproductive health and rights of girls with disabilities, including recent reports by the Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health with regard to the rights of adolescents (see A/HRC/32/32, paras. 86 and 94), the Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment focused on torture in health-care settings (see A/HRC/22/53, paras. 48 and 57-70), the Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences, with regard to violence against women with disabilities (A/67/227) and the Working Group on the issue of discrimination against women in law and in practice focused on the issue of discrimination against women with regard to health and safety (see A/HRC/32/44, paras. 45-47).
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Persons with disabilities
- Women
- Youth
- Year
- 2017
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
Sexual and reproductive health and rights of girls and young women with disabilities 2017, para. 18
- Paragraph text
- Stigma and stereotypes play a significant role in limiting the sexual and reproductive health and rights of girls and young women with disabilities. The sexuality of persons with disabilities is usually considered a taboo topic. Relatives, teachers and health-care providers are generally anxious, untrained and unconfident about discussing sexuality with them. Moreover, there is a prevalent assumption that persons with disabilities, particularly girls and young women with disabilities, are either asexual or hypersexual. Those stigmas are particularly strong in the cases of persons with intellectual and psychosocial disabilities. Empirical studies show, however, that young people with disabilities have the same concerns and needs with regard to sexuality, relationships and identity as their peers, and have similar patterns of sexual behaviour.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Persons with disabilities
- Women
- Youth
- Year
- 2017
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
The right of persons with disabilities to social protection 2015, para. 40
- Paragraph text
- There are persons with disabilities across all population groups, including those historically discriminated against or disadvantaged, such as persons o f African descent, indigenous peoples, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex persons, and minorities. In the design and implementation of social protection programmes, States must acknowledge the multiple and aggravated forms of discrimination f aced by persons with disabilities belonging to these groups.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- LGBTQI+
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2015
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
Access to rights-based support for persons with disabilities 2017, para. 54
- Paragraph text
- States must ensure that the support made available is of good quality. This requires, inter alia, the implementation of person-centred approaches and the adoption of guidelines and criteria to regulate the delivery of assistance and support services, including standards for training and certification. States should also train and assist families and communities providing informal support, set up monitoring mechanisms to assess the adequacy of support services and arrangements and prevent abuses and violence in its provision.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Families
- Year
- 2017
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
The right of persons with disabilities to participate in decision-making 2016, para. 82
- Paragraph text
- States should implement awareness-raising training programmes on the rights of persons with disabilities. Organizations of persons with disabilities can contribute to these efforts by educating persons with disabilities about their rights and responsibilities and about how proposed policies and decisions would affect their lives. Awareness-raising and education programmes on a rights-based approach to disability can also contribute to the promotion and protection of democracy.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2016
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
The right of persons with disabilities to participate in decision-making 2016, para. 87
- Paragraph text
- States are increasingly introducing participatory budgeting mechanisms, which enable citizens to influence the allocation of public resources through direct discussions and negotiations with authorities. Although participatory budget processes are a valuable opportunity for persons with disabilities to make States more responsive to their needs and preferences, their effectiveness depends upon the provision of accessibility and capacity-building.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Economic Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2016
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
The right of persons with disabilities to participate in decision-making 2016, para. 97
- Paragraph text
- The adoption of the Sustainable Development Goals with concrete references to persons with disabilities constitutes an excellent opportunity for achieving the coordinated engagement of international donors in the advancement of the rights of persons with disabilities. The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development are complementary and should be mutually reinforced to guarantee the full inclusion and participation of persons with disabilities.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2016
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
The right of persons with disabilities to participate in decision-making 2016, para. 100e
- Paragraph text
- [The Special Rapporteur offers the following recommendations to assist States in realizing the right of persons with disabilities to participate in decision-making:] Ensure the participation of persons with disabilities and their representative organizations in all processes of legal harmonization with the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, as well as in national implementation and monitoring;
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2016
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
The right of persons with disabilities to participate in decision-making 2016, para. 100j
- Paragraph text
- [The Special Rapporteur offers the following recommendations to assist States in realizing the right of persons with disabilities to participate in decision-making:] Encourage and support the participation of persons with disabilities from disadvantaged groups, in particular those who experience discrimination on the basis of their race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national, ethnic, indigenous or social origin, property, birth, age or other status;
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2016
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
Access to rights-based support for persons with disabilities 2017, para. 24
- Paragraph text
- Care services also have a legacy of segregation and disempowerment of persons with disabilities. In fact, most services were built under the medical and assistentialist models, which prompted the confinement of persons with disabilities in institutions, leading to the loss of control of their lives and their ultimate objectification. Therefore, for many persons with disabilities the notion of care bears a heavy historical connotation associated with oppression and invalidation.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2017
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
The right of persons with disabilities to social protection 2015, para. 35
- Paragraph text
- States should prioritize social protection policies to ensure the well-being of children and adolescents with disabilities and their families; to enable them to realize their full potential through inclusive and adequate services and support measures (especially in the education and health sectors); and to combat poverty. In effect, families with children with disabilities are disproportionately more likely to fall below the poverty line, as disability in childhood is often the catalyst for poverty owing to disability-related extra costs, family break-ups and unemployment following the onset of disability. Poverty, in turn, remains the main cause of malnutrition, school dropout, abandonment and institutionalization of children with disabilities. States should adopt inclusive and barrier-free social protection systems as they can have a life-changing impact on children and adolescents with disabilities.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Poverty
- Person(s) affected
- Adolescents
- Children
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2015
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
The right of persons with disabilities to social protection 2015, para. 45
- Paragraph text
- States must also review their institutional frameworks to ensure that persons with disabilities are adequately included in social protection systems. In principle, these frameworks must bring coherence and coordination, rather than fragmentation, across programmes, actors and levels of government responsible for implementing social protection policies. In practice, however, disability-related social protection initiatives are too often disconnected from the broader social protection coordination system and implemented in isolation by the disability agencies within the government, rather than as part of the main social protection strategy. These disability agencies often operate without the engagement and necessary technical support of the main agencies in charge of national programmes. Of additional concern is the lack of coordinated responses between national and subnational authorities, which can jeopardize the availability and quality of benefits and services within a country.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2015
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
The right of persons with disabilities to social protection 2015, para. 46
- Paragraph text
- This fragmentation increases the likelihood of persons with disabilities being excluded from mainstream social protection programmes, thus limiting the scope, quality and adequacy of the services and benefits they receive. To avoid this, States must ensure that all disability-related programmes are considered as an integral part of their national social protection strategies and are not delegated solely to the responsibility of the government's disability agency. States should also devote efforts to taking the needs of persons with disabilities into consideration in their mainstream social protection programmes, and enhancing their internal coordination mechanisms to address those needs in a comprehensive manner. Further, States should invest in interministerial and intersectoral capacity-building to strengthen the institutional framework.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2015
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
The right of persons with disabilities to social protection 2015, para. 48
- Paragraph text
- Although persons with disabilities can be covered by contributory sche mes (e.g., social insurance programmes), they have considerably fewer opportunities to contribute to such schemes than persons without disabilities, mainly owing to their higher unemployment rates, economic inactivity and informal employment. Contributory schemes normally do not cover children and young adults with disabilities if they have been unable to contribute to a social insurance scheme or are not covered through their parents. Despite these limitations, contributory schemes play an important role in providing social protection to persons with disabilities and often provide higher benefits than non-contributory programmes. Making provision for government-financed contributions for certain categories of persons who are unable to contribute directly, or who have limited contributory capacity, can strengthen the universal protection of contributory programmes.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Persons with disabilities
- Youth
- Year
- 2015
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
The right of persons with disabilities to social protection 2015, para. 49
- Paragraph text
- Contributory and non-contributory systems, as well as income generation programmes, can complement each other in various ways to reduce the coverage gap of persons with disabilities. Nevertheless, States must ensure an adequate level and quality of services in both contributory and non-contributory schemes, and their sustainability. States must also take steps, to the maximum of their available resources, to ensure that social protection systems cover all persons with disabilities on an equal basis with others. Finally, States must ensure the continuity of benefits and services when a person moves from a contributory scheme to a non-contributory one, and vice versa.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Economic Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2015
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
The right of persons with disabilities to social protection 2015, para. 81
- Paragraph text
- Implementing a social protection system not only entails having legislation and policies in place, but also financial resources and institutions with the capacity to implement and monitor them. The obligation of progressive realization compels States to take appropriate measures to the maximum of their available resources towards the full realization of the right to social protection. This concept should not be understood as discharging States from any obligations until they have sufficient resources. On the contrary, States must take constant steps to improve the enjoyment of the right to social protection of persons with disabilities, with a time - bound plan and measurable benchmarks to help monitor progress.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2015
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
The right of persons with disabilities to social protection 2015, para. 82
- Paragraph text
- States have various obligations of immediate effect in relation to the right of persons with disabilities to social protection, which include: the elimination of discrimination in the exercise of this right, the promotion of gender equality, securing access to social protection and ensuring a minimum essential level of benefits for all persons with disabilities and their families. These minimum essential levels constitute the core of nationally defined social protection floors and are crucial to securing an adequate standard of living for persons with disabilities, including basic subsistence, essential primary health care, basic shelter and housing, and basic forms of education. States must meet these core obligations even if their resources are scarce.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2015
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
The right of persons with disabilities to social protection 2015, para. 62
- Paragraph text
- Further work, including research and international cooperation, is required to support States in the design of simpler, more effective and more holistic targeting mechanisms, which would also inform States about the barriers faced by persons with disabilities and the support they need.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2015
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
Mandate, working methods, work plan for the mandate 2015, para. 7
- Paragraph text
- In parallel to these disability-specific developments, and guided by the Charter of the United Nations and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the United Nations human rights framework continued to grow with the adoption in 1966 of two international covenants - one on civil and political rights, the other on economic, social and cultural rights - and subsequent thematic human rights treaties throughout the following decades. In this context, persons with disabilities were viewed mainly from an anti-discrimination perspective, first implicitly under "any other status". In 1989, the Convention on the Rights of the Child was the first binding treaty to explicitly mention disability as a ground of discrimination. Although persons with disabilities were in theory equally protected under the core human rights treaties, however, they would remain at the margins of human rights discourse until the new millennium.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2015
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
Mandate, working methods, work plan for the mandate 2015, para. 21d
- Paragraph text
- [In addition and within the framework of her mandate, the Special Rapporteur intends to undertake her tasks through the following working methods:] Disability-inclusive perspective. The Special Rapporteur aims to support and promote disability-specific efforts on the one hand, and to an important extent, to ensure an inclusive perspective in efforts and processes with a general scope on the other. This dual approach in the advancement of the rights of persons with disabilities is of particular importance since, despite various efforts made to achieve inclusion, persons with disabilities have often remained invisible and excluded from non-disability-specific discussions and processes.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2015
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
Mandate, working methods, work plan for the mandate 2015, para. 21e
- Paragraph text
- [In addition and within the framework of her mandate, the Special Rapporteur intends to undertake her tasks through the following working methods:] Building ownership. The Special Rapporteur believes that efforts that are fully owned by the concerned societies are the only ones that bring about sustainable change. There is no single model that fits all; responses that are successful in one part of the world may be detrimental in another. For this reason, it will be important to build on ownership and culturally tailored responses at the national level in the advancement of the rights of persons with disabilities. In her work, the Special Rapporteur will thus aim to promote efforts compliant with the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and solutions related to advancing the implementation of the rights of persons with disabilities that at the same time take into account cultural and national contexts and particularities.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2015
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
Mandate, working methods, work plan for the mandate 2015, para. 23b
- Paragraph text
- [The Special Rapporteur recognizes that a very important part of the mandate is to support States in the development of their national efforts to advance the implementation of the rights of persons with disabilities. To accomplish this, the Special Rapporteur will put particular emphasis on the following activities:] Fostering capacity-building of national stakeholders. The Convention brings about many concepts and new ideas that challenge outdated perceptions of persons with disabilities. The Special Rapporteur aims to support national stakeholders, including government officials, in translating internationally agreed norms and standards to national laws, policies, programmes and practices, and to advise them in challenges that they may face in implementing the rights of persons with disabilities. In cooperation with relevant United Nations agencies and other organizations, the mandate holder will explore the feasibility of developing training modules for national stakeholders to support the effective advancement of the rights of persons with disabilities.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2015
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
Mandate, working methods, work plan for the mandate 2015, para. 23c
- Paragraph text
- [The Special Rapporteur recognizes that a very important part of the mandate is to support States in the development of their national efforts to advance the implementation of the rights of persons with disabilities. To accomplish this, the Special Rapporteur will put particular emphasis on the following activities:] Promoting the establishment and/or strengthening of national mechanisms for implementation and monitoring. Guided by article 33 of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, many States are in the process of setting up a national framework for implementing and monitoring the Convention. The Special Rapporteur wishes to work together with the mechanisms called for in article 33 (government focal points and coordination mechanisms, independent monitoring bodies and civil society), support their efforts and address their potential challenges with a view to reinforcing the development of Convention-compliant national implementation and monitoring frameworks.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2015
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
Mandate, working methods, work plan for the mandate 2015, para. 21a
- Paragraph text
- [In addition and within the framework of her mandate, the Special Rapporteur intends to undertake her tasks through the following working methods:] Collaborative efforts. As requested by the Human Rights Council in its resolution 26/20, the Special Rapporteur will develop a regular dialogue and consult with States and other relevant stakeholders to identify, exchange and promote good practices relating to the realization of the rights of persons with disabilities and their participation as equal members of society. In this spirit, she is committed to building a mandate based on participation, dialogue and consultation.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2015
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
Disability-inclusive policies 2016, para. 20
- Paragraph text
- In taking such steps, the cross-cutting nature of disability must be recognized. Given that disability affects every aspect of a person's life, unless inclusion is promoted in all areas of life it will not be fully effective. For example, inclusive vocational training requires inclusive employment and both require accessible transportation. Similarly, access to justice will not be granted to persons with disabilities if their legal capacity is not fully recognized. As all human rights are indivisible and interdependent, the denial of one right necessarily compromises the enjoyment of others. A coordinated approach to policymaking must therefore take into account all the above components and address the multiple aspects of the lives of persons with disabilities.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2016
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
Mandate, working methods, work plan for the mandate 2015, para. 30
- Paragraph text
- As invited by the General Assembly, the Special Rapporteur envisages to support the United Nations system, and in particular the Statistical Commission, as appropriate and within the scope of the mandate and existing resources, to update existing methodologies of disability data collection and analysis for persons with disabilities, to obtain internationally comparable data on the situation of persons with disabilities and to regularly include relevant disability data or relevant qualitative facts, as appropriate, in relevant United Nations publications in the field of economic and social development.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2015
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
Disability-inclusive policies 2016, para. 23
- Paragraph text
- While most States have non-discrimination provisions in their legislation, including in their constitutions, disability is not always mentioned as a ground of discrimination and often, when included, is only considered in particular areas, such as employment. In line with human rights law in general and with the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities specifically, persons with disabilities should be protected from all forms of discrimination in all aspects of their lives and States should include disability as a ground of discrimination in all their legislation, including civil, administrative, criminal and procedural law. Since in most countries the constitution and constitutional law are at the top of the hierarchy of norms, constitutional provisions constitute a useful tool for protecting persons with disabilities against discrimination.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2016
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
Mandate, working methods, work plan for the mandate 2015, para. 33a
- Paragraph text
- [Given the broad scope of the mandate and the fact that it is subject to the availability of resources for its implementation, the Special Rapporteur has decided to mainly focus on a few priority areas of concern, which in her view present the most urgent challenges for the enjoyment of human rights by persons with disabilities. These areas of concern have been grouped into three complementary, mutually reinforcing clusters:] Promoting citizenship. Supporting the active participation of persons with disabilities in all decision-making process affecting their lives, including through the right to equal recognition before the law, the right to freedom and security of the person, the right to live independently and to be included in the community and other interrelated rights in the civil and political sphere.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2015
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
Mandate, working methods, work plan for the mandate 2015, para. 37
- Paragraph text
- The Special Rapporteur participated in the fifty-third session of the Commission for Social Development, at which she spoke under the agenda item 3(6), on the review of relevant United Nations plans and programmes of action pertaining to the situation of social groups, on her plan of work and its contribution to the work of the Commission, in particular in its efforts in the context of a sustainable development agenda inclusive of the rights of persons with disabilities. She has also approached the Conference of States Parties to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities to define her engagement in that context.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2015
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
Mandate, working methods, work plan for the mandate 2015, para. 33b
- Paragraph text
- [Given the broad scope of the mandate and the fact that it is subject to the availability of resources for its implementation, the Special Rapporteur has decided to mainly focus on a few priority areas of concern, which in her view present the most urgent challenges for the enjoyment of human rights by persons with disabilities. These areas of concern have been grouped into three complementary, mutually reinforcing clusters:] Combating poverty: Addressing the root causes of poverty among persons with disabilities that prevent them from enjoying their economic and social rights and being active contributors to their communities, including by supporting the development and implementation of social protection systems that are inclusive of persons with disabilities, by promoting access to inclusive education and employment, and by contributing to the inclusion of persons with disabilities in all national and international development processes and programmes.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Poverty
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2015
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
Mandate, working methods, work plan for the mandate 2015, para. 35
- Paragraph text
- Upon taking up her duties, on 3 December 2014 the Special Rapporteur issued her very first statement together with the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General on Disability and Accessibility, in which these human rights mechanisms called jointly for the inclusion of the rights of persons with disabilities in relevant ongoing processes, ranging from defining the post-2015 development agenda to climate negotiations and the third World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction, and called for universal ratification of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the Optional Protocol thereto. While respecting the independence and specificity of each mandate, these mechanisms will continue to work together in a coherent manner to build upon each other's work and to collaborate when relevant. The three mechanisms have started to coordinate their work informally with the aim of exchanging information on a regular basis and identifying areas where joint action is of added value and can bring about a stronger impact.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2015
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
Mandate, working methods, work plan for the mandate 2015, para. 36
- Paragraph text
- The Special Rapporteur has also taken first steps towards collaborating with other special procedures mandate holders. Initial efforts of collaboration have included a joint statement made on Human Rights Day, on 10 December 2014, with other special procedures mandate holders on climate change and human rights, and joined efforts regarding issues of common concern with the mandate holders on the right to food, older persons and the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Environment
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Older persons
- Year
- 2015
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
Disability-inclusive policies 2016, para. 28
- Paragraph text
- Ensuring access to justice and effective remedies for victims of discrimination, whether through judicial or non-judicial proceedings, is essential for the enforcement of non-discrimination frameworks. Persons with disabilities are often denied access to justice on an equal basis with others for a variety of reasons, including denial of their legal capacity, lack of awareness of their rights, unaffordability, inaccessibility and absence of procedural accommodation. In many States, the national human rights institution or an equality body is mandated to examine allegations of discrimination, with different levels of powers and competences. While in some cases those institutions can impose sanctions and redress, in others they are only able to issue non-binding recommendations. In such contexts, judicial remedies should complement the work of national human rights institutions and equality bodies.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2016
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
Disability-inclusive policies 2016, para. 60
- Paragraph text
- Mainstreaming is essential for securing the inclusion of persons with disabilities in different areas of development. All general policies and programmes must be designed to be as inclusive as possible, in order to not create or perpetuate existing barriers in the environment, be they physical, informational, institutional or attitudinal, and must incorporate a disability perspective into policymaking in all sectors and at all levels of governance. As previously mentioned, that can be accomplished by ensuring non-discrimination, accessibility and support provisions. Mainstream strategies may lead to modifications in the objectives and processes of programmes to ensure that persons with disabilities participate in and benefit from them.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2016
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
Disability-inclusive policies 2016, para. 61
- Paragraph text
- Persons with disabilities may have particular needs, which cannot be met by making general programmes inclusive, but which can be remedied by establishing disability-specific programmes. However, given that the needs of persons with disabilities cut across all sectors, they should be pursued in an integrated, coherent and well-coordinated manner, as opposed to through an ad hoc approach. Supplying assistive devices that only persons with disabilities need is one thing, but ensuring their participation in education, water and sanitation, employment, health care, transportation, governance, justice and other areas cannot be achieved without mainstreaming disability everywhere.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2016
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
Disability-inclusive policies 2016, para. 30
- Paragraph text
- States need to pay attention to the multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination faced by persons with disabilities. The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities recognizes the significance of such forms of discrimination, particularly in relation to women and children with disabilities, since they are at a higher risk of discrimination and exclusion (see subparagraph (p) of the preamble and articles 6 and 7). In the design and implementation of public policies and programmes, States must acknowledge the situation of the most marginalized groups among persons with disabilities, such as women, youth, older persons, indigenous persons, persons with psychosocial disabilities, persons with intellectual disabilities, autistic persons and deaf-blind persons (see, for example, CRPD/C/SVK/CO/1 and CRPD/C/AUS/CO/1). To be inclusive, policies and programmes must respond to the needs of those heterogeneous groups.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Persons with disabilities
- Women
- Year
- 2016
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
Disability-inclusive policies 2016, para. 57
- Paragraph text
- States need to address the interface between national and subnational levels of governance. In many countries, local governments are directly responsible for the implementation of important public policies in the areas of education, health care, housing, planning, construction and development. The lack of a coordinated response between national and local authorities has a negative impact on the availability and quality of services for persons with disabilities, in particular those living in disadvantaged rural and remote areas. Central Governments must ensure, to the extent of their competencies, adequate funding and technical support for local authorities in order to help them fulfil their functions.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2016
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
Disability-inclusive policies 2016, para. 65
- Paragraph text
- Preparatory studies and analysis for policy formulation should include consultation and engagement with representative organizations of persons with disabilities, and incorporate relevant data on persons with disabilities and on potential barriers and facilitators in the environment that might influence policy outcomes. Proposals for policy design should also clearly identify how persons with disabilities will be included. Any public forum or process for reviewing policy proposals should be fully accessible to persons with disabilities and representative organizations of persons with disabilities should be invited to participate in them.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2016
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
The right of persons with disabilities to participate in decision-making 2016, para. 48
- Paragraph text
- Structural challenges are a major obstacle to the participation of persons with disabilities in public decision-making. As education systems often fail to adequately include persons with disabilities, their opportunities and capacities to become successfully involved in public decision-making are limited. This also affects the institutional capacities of their representative organizations. The lack of social protection systems for securing sufficient income and employment opportunities also affects the capacity of persons with disabilities to devote time and effort to civil society.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2016
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
The right of persons with disabilities to participate in decision-making 2016, para. 57
- Paragraph text
- There are various types of cooperation that representative organizations of persons with disabilities engage in, such as promoting the mainstreaming of the rights of persons with disabilities in advocacy initiatives conducted by other groups subject to exclusion and discrimination, such as indigenous people or older persons. This approach is of particular importance since persons with disabilities have often been invisible and excluded from non-disability-specific discussions and processes. Furthermore, representative organizations of persons with disabilities can benefit from the strengths and experience of other civil society movements to strengthen the disability movement.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2016
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
The right of persons with disabilities to participate in decision-making 2016, para. 58
- Paragraph text
- Because women and girls with disabilities have historically encountered many barriers to participation in public decision-making, due to power imbalances and multiple forms of discrimination, they have had fewer opportunities to establish or join organizations that can represent their needs as women and persons with disabilities. Consequently, despite the widespread human rights violations affecting them, the intersectionality between gender and disability-based issues is still not fully included in the work of the different stakeholders promoting the rights of persons with disabilities or the rights of women. Acknowledging this situation, the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities requires States to take all appropriate measures to ensure their full development, advancement and empowerment. States must take steps to eliminate the barriers that prevent their participation in public decision-making and must ensure that all participatory mechanisms and bodies take into account both disability- and gender-related factors and the complex interrelationships between them.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Persons with disabilities
- Women
- Year
- 2016
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
The right of persons with disabilities to participate in decision-making 2016, para. 60
- Paragraph text
- States must promote the participation of persons with disabilities across all population groups, including those historically discriminated against or disadvantaged, such as indigenous people, poor or rural-based persons, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex persons, and others. States must also ensure that the voices of persons with disabilities from throughout the life cycle are heard (particularly those of children, adolescents and older persons) and from across the whole range of impairments and experiences of disability (including deaf persons, autistic persons, deafblind persons, and persons with psychosocial or intellectual disabilities).
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- LGBTQI+
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2016
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
The right of persons with disabilities to participate in decision-making 2016, para. 76
- Paragraph text
- Without accessible information and communication, a range of persons with different disabilities cannot effectively participate in law-making and policymaking. This is particularly the case for persons with sensory and intellectual impairments. Generally, decision-making bodies and mechanisms neither produce nor disseminate information in accessible formats (such as easy-to-read), nor do they ensure the availability of sign language interpretation, guide interpreters for deafblind persons, or captioning during public debates. States must ensure that the entire public decision-making process is made accessible, including buildings, information, materials and communication pertaining to public debates.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2016
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
The right of persons with disabilities to participate in decision-making 2016, para. 77
- Paragraph text
- New information and communications technologies, particularly the Internet, can significantly enhance the participation of persons with disabilities in public decision-making processes. There is a growing awareness of the role of the Internet in broadening the concept of "online citizenship", especially through e-government and e-democracy initiatives. States should increase their efforts to reduce the access gap in the use of the Internet and other information and communications technologies, while ensuring full accessibility. Electronic participation should not prevent States from providing other forms of participation and consultation.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2016
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
The right of persons with disabilities to participate in decision-making 2016, para. 26
- Paragraph text
- As was evident in the process leading to the adoption of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, the participation of persons with disabilities in public decision-making can have an enormous impact on government actions affecting them and can lead to better decisions, since persons with disabilities are best positioned to identify their own needs and the most suitable policies for meeting them. Their participation ensures that States' policies and programmes are devised on the basis of their needs and preferences. Therefore, the inclusion of persons with disabilities in public decision-making will result in greater efficiency and a more equitable use of resources, leading to improved outcomes for persons with disabilities and their communities.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2016
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
The right of persons with disabilities to participate in decision-making 2016, para. 62
- Paragraph text
- The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities requires States to adopt all appropriate legislative, administrative and other measures to ensure effective and active participation by persons with disabilities in public decision-making. This entails recognizing the right of persons with disabilities to both participation and association, as well as the right of organizations of persons with disabilities to represent persons with disabilities at the national, regional and local levels. States must also adopt a legal framework conducive to the direct and indirect participation of persons with disabilities in law and policymaking, amending or repealing legislation, regulations, customs and practices that limit the ability of persons with disabilities and their representative organizations to participate. The participation of persons with disabilities in public life must be a cross-cutting principle of good governance.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2016
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
Access to rights-based support for persons with disabilities 2017, para. 32
- Paragraph text
- Support can also be derived from the basic principles of human rights, such as dignity, universality, individual autonomy, equality and non-discrimination, participation and inclusion. The universal nature of human rights provides an obligation on States to promote the full realization of rights for all people. Persons with disabilities should enjoy all human rights and fundamental freedoms on an equal basis with others. Access to adequate support is indeed a precondition for persons with disabilities to effective exercise of their human rights on an equal basis with others and, therefore, to live with dignity and autonomy in the community.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2017
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
Access to rights-based support for persons with disabilities 2017, para. 33
- Paragraph text
- The State obligation to ensure access to support to persons with disabilities must be distinguished from the obligation to provide accessibility. While accessibility is an obligation related to the physical environment, transportation, information and communications - a requirement for barrier-free, inclusive societies - support is an obligation linked to the individual. Instead of transforming the environment, the goal is to assist the individual in a range of different activities, from communication to mobility. Whereas the level of accessibility may increase or decrease the need for support, the two are complementary obligations enabling persons with disabilities to live independently and to participate fully in all aspects of life.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2017
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
Access to rights-based support for persons with disabilities 2017, para. 34
- Paragraph text
- Similarly, the right to reasonable accommodation is distinct from, although complementary to, the obligation to provide support. States are required to make all necessary and appropriate modifications or adjustments that do not impose a disproportionate or undue burden to allow persons with disabilities to exercise their rights. Such modifications or adjustments may include support measures tailored to the needs of an individual in a particular case. However, the obligation to ensure access to support is not limited by the qualification of disproportionate or undue burden.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2017
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
Access to rights-based support for persons with disabilities 2017, para. 35
- Paragraph text
- In the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities support is firmly grounded in a complex substantive equality model introduced by the Convention. The treaty underlines the importance of taking the diversity of the human experience into account. The Convention underlines the importance of adopting all appropriate measures to support the full and effective participation of persons with disabilities in society on an equal basis with others. Its rights-based approach also places persons with disabilities at the centre of all decisions affecting them, including decisions about support and assistance.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2017
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
Access to rights-based support for persons with disabilities 2017, para. 53
- Paragraph text
- States must take all appropriate measures to ensure that support programmes incorporate a rights-based approach, are provided on a voluntary basis and respect the rights and dignity of persons with disabilities. All support services and arrangements must be culturally appropriate; sensitive to gender, impairment and life-cycle requirements; and designed to respect the privacy of those concerned. Community-based approaches for the provision of support constitute an effective strategy to ensure the provision of responses that take into account geographical, social, economic and cultural issues.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2017
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
Access to rights-based support for persons with disabilities 2017, para. 55
- Paragraph text
- States must design support services and arrangements so that they enable direct choice and control by persons with disabilities. Existing services often do not comply with this standard. In many instances the decisions of users can be overridden by professionals and family members. States must guarantee to persons with disabilities the opportunity to plan and direct their own support: who provides it and how, and whether it is provided in disability-specific services or in services offered to the general public. The denial or restriction of legal capacity, a widespread human rights violation worldwide, has a direct impact on the possibility for persons with disabilities to exercise choice and control over the support they receive and contributes to the imposition of services that are contrary to their dignity and rights.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2017
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
Access to rights-based support for persons with disabilities 2017, para. 56
- Paragraph text
- Individual funding is a suitable way to ensure choice and control by persons with disabilities. Personalized schemes allow persons with disabilities to hire support directly, either from formal service providers or informal carers, or a combination of both. In this way, persons with disabilities can decide who provides them support and the type and level of support they wish to receive, and thus are much more empowered to ensure that they will receive adequate support. The implementation of such schemes should not, however, result in States relinquishing their primary responsibility to ensure access to appropriate support for persons with disabilities. On the contrary, States have a significant role to play in its management and monitoring.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2017
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
Mandate, working methods, work plan for the mandate 2015, para. 32
- Paragraph text
- The Special Rapporteur believes that regional bodies play an important role in interpreting international standards at the regional level and advancing the rights of persons with disabilities within relevant cultural and economic regional contexts. In this light, she will be available to provide advice upon request, taking into account the work plans and priorities of regional organizations in processes involving the promotion and protection of the rights of persons with disabilities.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2015
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
The right of persons with disabilities to participate in decision-making 2016, para. 22
- Paragraph text
- Persons with disabilities have the right to participate in the conduct of public affairs. This is a broad concept that includes all aspects of public administration and policymaking, and relates to the exercise of political power, including legislative, executive and administrative powers. It also covers participation in public debates and dialogues, as well as in peaceful demonstrations and meetings.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2016
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
Mandate, working methods, work plan for the mandate 2015, para. 34
- Paragraph text
- In her first months as mandate holder, the Special Rapporteur took initial steps to set up a framework for collaboration. Grateful for the positive welcome that she has received, she has already had the chance to exchange with a large number of stakeholders and looks forward to further opportunities of interaction.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Year
- 2015
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
Sexual and reproductive health and rights of girls and young women with disabilities 2017, para. 13
- Paragraph text
- Sexual and reproductive health, human rights and sustainable development are all interconnected. The Sustainable Development Goals explicitly call for ensuring “universal access to sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights”, and include targets related to that under Goal 3, Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages; Goal 4, Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all; and Goal 5, Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls. In addition, Goal 5 stresses that all forms of discrimination and violence against girls and women (including those with disabilities) must be eliminated. Investing in sexual and reproductive health and rights saves lives and empowers girls and young women with disabilities. Protecting and promoting their sexual and reproductive health and rights should therefore be a top priority for States.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Persons with disabilities
- Women
- Youth
- Year
- 2017
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
Sexual and reproductive health and rights of girls and young women with disabilities 2017, para. 7
- Paragraph text
- The intersection between young age, disability and gender results in both aggravated forms of discrimination and specific human rights violations against girls and young women with disabilities. While in all parts of the world persons with disabilities are faced with violations of their rights and barriers to their participation as equal members of society, girls with disabilities are significantly worse off than boys with disabilities, regardless of the types and levels of impairment. Girls with disabilities are more likely to be excluded from family interactions and activities, and are less likely to have access to education, vocational training and employment, or to benefit from full inclusion.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Boys
- Girls
- Persons with disabilities
- Women
- Youth
- Year
- 2017
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
Sexual and reproductive health and rights of girls and young women with disabilities 2017, para. 27
- Paragraph text
- The prevalence of sexually transmitted infections among youth with disabilities, including girls and young women with disabilities, is of concern. Evidence shows that children and youth with disabilities have a similar or increased risk for contracting sexually transmitted infections compared with other youth, while girls with disabilities experience higher rates than boys with disabilities. However, youth with disabilities, including girls, are less likely to receive information about the prevention of HIV/AIDS or to be given condoms or other methods to prevent sexually transmitted diseases. Evidence suggests, for example, that HIV testing is lower among youth with disabilities (men and women) than among the general population. Generally, girls and young women with disabilities are not the target of prevention campaigns on sexually transmitted infections and cancers. The issue is particularly serious for those who are deaf or deaf-blind, who are traditionally excluded from all mainstream information.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Boys
- Children
- Girls
- Persons with disabilities
- Women
- Youth
- Year
- 2017
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
Sexual and reproductive health and rights of girls and young women with disabilities 2017, para. 28
- Paragraph text
- The pervasive misconception that adolescents, both with and without disabilities, lack the capacity to make autonomous decisions about their own health care is a major barrier to girls and young women with and without disabilities when they attempt to access sexual and reproductive health information and services. Many States legally limit the ability of adolescents to make autonomous choices about their sexual and reproductive health and rights by requiring parental notification or consent prior to the provision of information and services, or by permitting health-care providers to deny reproductive health information, goods and services to adolescents. Moreover, for young women with disabilities over legal age, legislation restricting their legal capacity on the basis of disability and misconceptions about their perceived lack of capacity prevent many of them from making autonomous decisions about sexual and reproductive health-care services. Those restrictive circumstances result in an impenetrable barrier for girls and young women with disabilities, especially for those requiring support to express their will and preferences, since such support is usually provided by the family. Consequently, in many cases, girls and young women with disabilities have no control over their own sexual and reproductive lives, as decisions are taken for them under the paternalistic guise of “for their own good” (see A/67/227, para. 36). Denying access to sexual and reproductive health care to girls and young women with disabilities is a form of violence, which also exposes them to the risks of unwanted pregnancy, early marriage and school dropout.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Adolescents
- Girls
- Persons with disabilities
- Women
- Youth
- Year
- 2017
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
Sexual and reproductive health and rights of girls and young women with disabilities 2017, para. 44
- Paragraph text
- States need to provide comprehensive and non-discriminatory sexuality education to girls and young women with disabilities, both within and outside school (see A/65/162, paras. 62 and 87). It should include information about self-esteem and healthy relationships; sexual and reproductive health, contraception and sexually transmitted diseases; the prevention of sexual and other forms of exploitation, violence and abuse; stigma and prejudices against persons with disabilities; gender roles; and human rights. Indeed, sexuality education has been found to be effective in improving the sexual knowledge and skills of youth with disabilities, and in reducing sexual violence against them. States must ensure that their sexuality education programmes are inclusive of girls and young women with disabilities and their specific needs, and that they are made available in accessible and alternative communication formats. Peer-education programmes are effective ways to enhance knowledge and skills with regard to the sexual and reproductive health and rights of girls and young women with disabilities.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Gender
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Persons with disabilities
- Women
- Youth
- Year
- 2017
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
Sexual and reproductive health and rights of girls and young women with disabilities 2017, para. 45
- Paragraph text
- States should train health-care personnel, teachers, community workers and other public officials on the sexual and reproductive health and rights of girls and young women with disabilities. All primary health-care workers dealing with sexual and reproductive health, particularly in rural and remote areas, must be adequately trained, prepared and supported in their work. For example, in Guwahati, India, a team of service providers was trained to provide support to young persons with disabilities with regard to accessing sexual and reproductive health and rights information and services and identifying sexually abusive behaviours. The adoption of technical guidelines on how to provide adequate sexual and reproductive health and rights information and services to girls and young women with disabilities is recommended. In Uruguay, for example, the government developed a guide on sexual and reproductive health and rights of persons with disabilities that has been distributed to all health centres across the country.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Persons with disabilities
- Women
- Youth
- Year
- 2017
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
Sexual and reproductive health and rights of girls and young women with disabilities 2017, para. 46
- Paragraph text
- States must provide information and assistance to families of girls and young women with disabilities in relation to sexual and reproductive health and rights. Families may need assistance in understanding their child’s sexuality, ways to support their sexual and reproductive health needs and ways to avoid, recognize and report instances of sexual exploitation, violence and abuse. Studies have shown that training can change the attitudes of parents towards the sexuality of their children with disabilities and improve their confidence in talking to them about sexuality. Parents and family members need guidance on understanding the importance of sexuality education and respecting their children’s right to express their views freely, which will help them overcome fears about the risk of sexual exploitation and abuse of girls and young women with disabilities. Families should be involved not just as recipients of training but as participants of awareness-raising initiatives to modify their own attitudes and practices in relation to their children with disabilities.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Families
- Girls
- Persons with disabilities
- Women
- Youth
- Year
- 2017
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
The right of persons with disabilities to social protection 2015, para. 88a
- Paragraph text
- [The Special Rapporteur makes the following recommendations to States with the aim of assisting them in developing and implementing disability- inclusive social protection systems:] Ensure that the right of persons with disabilities to social protection is recognized in domestic legislation and taken into account in national social protection strategies and plans, including nationally defined social protection floors;
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2015
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
The right of persons with disabilities to social protection 2015, para. 88d
- Paragraph text
- [The Special Rapporteur makes the following recommendations to States with the aim of assisting them in developing and implementing disability- inclusive social protection systems:] Ensure that eligibility criteria and targeting mechanisms do not discriminate directly or indirectly against persons with disabilities; disability determination, when established, must respect the rights and dignity of persons with disabilities;
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2015
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
Mandate, working methods, work plan for the mandate 2015, para. 38
- Paragraph text
- In addition, the Special Rapporteur has commenced coordination with the United Nations Partnership to Promote the Rights of Persons with Disabilities; initial discussions have been held on exploring how to coordinate geographic and thematic focus in national efforts. The Special Rapporteur has also had exchanges with a number of disability focal points of United Nations agencies, funds and programmes, and other international organizations and bodies to identify areas of collaboration and feed into each other's work.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2015
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
Disability-inclusive policies 2016, para. 55
- Paragraph text
- To ensure the effectiveness of disability-inclusive policies, which should be devised considering accessibility, non-discrimination and support service requirements, States have to adopt a clear policy framework for the inclusion of persons with disabilities across all sectors of society. They must consider adopting a national disability strategy or a national disability action plan for that purpose. Such frameworks may include other specific plans of action on non-discrimination, accessibility and support services.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2016
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
Access to rights-based support for persons with disabilities 2017, para. 80
- Paragraph text
- A variety of persons with disabilities may require support to ensure their personal mobility with the greatest possible independence, including through mobility aids, devices and assistive technologies and forms of live assistance and intermediaries. In particular, persons with disabilities who live in rural and remote areas face significant challenges in accessing different forms of mobility support, which significantly limits their access to such basic services as health care and education.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2017
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
Access to rights-based support for persons with disabilities 2017, para. 88
- Paragraph text
- Consideration of persons with disabilities in national policies on adequate housing is essential to ensure community participation. In the Republic of Moldova, as part of the process of deinstitutionalization of persons with intellectual and psychosocial disabilities, the Government has introduced protected housing arrangements, where persons with disabilities are provided social housing and the support necessary for living independently in the community (see A/HRC/31/62/Add.2, para. 46).
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2017
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
Access to rights-based support for persons with disabilities 2017, para. 89
- Paragraph text
- Partnerships and alliances with non-profit organizations, academia and organizations of persons with disabilities can increase the capacity of general services to ensure access to support for persons with disabilities. For example, in South Africa, the University of Pretoria has provided research and training to different national authorities on how to ensure access to justice for persons with disabilities through augmentative and alternative communication support as well as direct services to that end.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2017
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
Access to rights-based support for persons with disabilities 2017, para. 91b
- Paragraph text
- [The Special Rapporteur makes the following recommendations to States with the aim of assisting them in developing and implementing support arrangements and services for persons with disabilities. States should:] Implement a comprehensive system across different sectors and levels of government to ensure that persons with disabilities have access to community-based support services and arrangements that are available, accessible, adequate and affordable;
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2017
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
Access to rights-based support for persons with disabilities 2017, para. 91d
- Paragraph text
- [The Special Rapporteur makes the following recommendations to States with the aim of assisting them in developing and implementing support arrangements and services for persons with disabilities. States should:] Ensure that social protection systems include the provision of access to different forms of support for persons with disabilities, including the provision of free access to essential assistive technologies, as part of the State's health coverage and social protection schemes;
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2017
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
Access to rights-based support for persons with disabilities 2017, para. 91e
- Paragraph text
- [The Special Rapporteur makes the following recommendations to States with the aim of assisting them in developing and implementing support arrangements and services for persons with disabilities. States should:] Ensure access by persons with disabilities to appropriate support in their communities, regardless of the type of service delivery arrangement. When available, individual funding should enable persons with disabilities to effectively access support of appropriate quality;
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2017
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
Access to rights-based support for persons with disabilities 2017, para. 91k
- Paragraph text
- [The Special Rapporteur makes the following recommendations to States with the aim of assisting them in developing and implementing support arrangements and services for persons with disabilities. States should:] Progressively increase the allocation of funds to ensure access to support for persons with disabilities and refrain from adopting any retrogressive measures that directly or indirectly affect the access of persons with disabilities to support;
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2017
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
The right of persons with disabilities to participate in decision-making 2016, para. 67
- Paragraph text
- Many countries have adopted national disability lead agencies and within those, coordinating committees or similar bodies composed of various government representatives, organizations of persons with disabilities and NGOs. States should strengthen these structures, so that they can serve as focal points or coordination mechanisms for the implementation of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and thus provide a permanent space for the participation of persons with disabilities.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2016
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
Sexual and reproductive health and rights of girls and young women with disabilities 2017, para. 38
- Paragraph text
- States can take a number of measures to improve sexual and reproductive health and rights of girls and young women with disabilities, including by reviewing their legal and policy frameworks; taking concrete measures in the areas of education and information, access to justice, accessibility, non-discrimination and participation; and by allocating specific budgets for their implementation.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Persons with disabilities
- Women
- Youth
- Year
- 2017
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
Sexual and reproductive health and rights of girls and young women with disabilities 2017, para. 5
- Paragraph text
- There are more than one billion people with disabilities in the world today, and the average global disability prevalence rate is estimated to be 15.6 per cent. Persons with disabilities experience great social disadvantages worldwide, such as poverty; discriminatory laws and practices; environmental and information barriers; poor education, health and employment; and increased expenditures related to the extra cost of living with a disability (see A/70/297, paras. 25-32, and A/71/314, paras. 13-16).
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Poverty
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2017
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
Sexual and reproductive health and rights of girls and young women with disabilities 2017, para. 26
- Paragraph text
- Girls and young women with disabilities face unique challenges with regard to the management of menstrual hygiene. The absence of appropriate sanitation facilities in schools, including separate, accessible and sheltered toilets, in addition to the lack of education, resources and support for menstrual hygiene, compromise their ability to properly manage their hygiene and make them especially prone to diseases. Consequently, many girls and young women with disabilities stay at home or are sent to special schools, reinforcing their exclusion from comprehensive sexuality education.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Water & Sanitation
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Persons with disabilities
- Women
- Youth
- Year
- 2017
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
Access to rights-based support for persons with disabilities 2017, para. 91i
- Paragraph text
- [The Special Rapporteur makes the following recommendations to States with the aim of assisting them in developing and implementing support arrangements and services for persons with disabilities. States should:] Ensure appropriate safeguards at and independent monitoring of all public and private facilities and programmes providing support to persons with disabilities;
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2017
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
Access to rights-based support for persons with disabilities 2017, para. 27
- Paragraph text
- At the same time, there is a need to recover and acknowledge the personal experience of impairment that informs the support needs that persons with disabilities have in order to participate in society, experiences that may have been rendered marginal in the disability-rights debate. The acceptance of persons with disabilities as part of human diversity should influence the way societies perceive and respond to individuals' support requirements.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2017
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
The right of persons with disabilities to participate in decision-making 2016, para. 44
- Paragraph text
- It is of concern that, in some countries, representative organizations of persons with disabilities that are truly independent lack a real space for operation and participation, whereas government-sponsored organizations can operate freely. States must refrain from requiring a legal entity to be established or an organization for persons with disabilities to be registered as a precondition to the exercise of freedom of association.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2016
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
The right of persons with disabilities to social protection 2015, para. 17
- Paragraph text
- The Universal Declaration on Human Rights recognizes the right of everyone to social security (art. 22) and affirms that everyone has the "right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family" and the "right to security in the event of unemployment, sickness, disability, widowhood, old age or other lack of livelihood in circumstances beyond his control" (art. 25). Subsequently this right has been codified in several international and re gional human rights instruments, which also include non-discrimination clauses, thus reaffirming that the right to social security entails an obligation for States to prohibit any form of discrimination related to the enjoyment of this right.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Year
- 2015
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
The right of persons with disabilities to social protection 2015, para. 19
- Paragraph text
- In this context, the adoption of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities represents a major step towards disability-inclusive social protection. Article 28 refers for the first time in an international instrument to the right to socia l protection and links it to the right to an adequate standard of living, with reference to adequate food, clothing and housing, and the continuous improvement of living conditions. It also tailors the right to social protection to persons with disabilitie s, recognizing that they must enjoy this right without discrimination on the basis of disability, and establishes a pathway for their inclusion in all efforts related to the realization of this right.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2015
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
The right of persons with disabilities to social protection 2015, para. 21
- Paragraph text
- Social protection also resonates in other provisions of the Convention, including in relation to the right to live independently and be included in the community (art. 19), respect for home and the family (art. 23), education (art. 24), health (art. 25), habilitation and rehabilitation (art. 26) and work and employment (art. 27). Importantly, social protection interventions should be measured against the Convention's principles of non-discrimination, participation and inclusion, equal opportunities, accessibility, and equality between men and women (art. 3).
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Men
- Women
- Year
- 2015
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
The right of persons with disabilities to social protection 2015, para. 12
- Paragraph text
- Accordingly, as reflected in the outcome document of the high-level meeting of the General Assembly on disability and development, an adequate interpretation of the ILO recommendation should result in the situation of persons with disabilities being considered as a cross-cutting issue. The needs and rights of all persons with disabilities must be carefully taken into consideration, with a view to achieving universal coverage and social inclusion, reducing poverty and marginalization, avoiding discrimination and achieving equality as a matter of principle throughout the life cycle.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2015
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
The right of persons with disabilities to social protection 2015, para. 42
- Paragraph text
- To ensure a comprehensive social protection system, States have an obligation to adopt national strategies and plans of action that consider the equal rights of persons with disabilities. In this regard, the design, implementation and monitoring of those strategies and action plans must comply with the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Similarly, targets or goals have to include disability - specific benchmarks and indicators, to monitor and evaluate whether social protection systems benefit persons with disabilities or not.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2015
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
The right of persons with disabilities to social protection 2015, para. 32
- Paragraph text
- Accordingly, the extra cost of disability has significant consequences for persons with disabilities and may lead to a lower standard of living and to poverty when households cannot afford these expenditures. Contributions to the present report illustrate that many persons with disabilities cannot afford education and health services owing to the additional costs incurred because of disability, while they also face significant barriers to accessing health care, such as non-affordable or inadequate health services, discrimination in public and private health insurance, and insufficient insurance coverage. Catastrophically high health expenditures are preponderant among persons with disabilities, across all gender and age groups. Consequently, the burden of disability-related extra costs can easily nullify the enjoyment of other human rights, including living independently and with freedom of choice in any given society.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Poverty
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2015
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
The right of persons with disabilities to social protection 2015, para. 33
- Paragraph text
- States should therefore provide social protection programmes that cover disability-related expenditures, to prevent a significant deterioration of standard of living and to prevent poverty. While evidence suggests that social benefits contribute positively to reducing the at-risk-of-poverty rates for persons with disabilities, in practice very few States have established flexible systems that cover disability-related costs. In most cases, benefits are static, provided in fixed lump sums without account being taken of the individual's particular situation and needs.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Poverty
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2015
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
The right of persons with disabilities to social protection 2015, para. 36
- Paragraph text
- Social protection plays an important role for women and men with disabilities of working age, by stabilizing and protecting their income in the event of unemployment, sickness or inactivity, and by ensuring at least a basic level of income security. Effective measures to support persons with disabilities in finding and retaining quality employment are an essential element of non-discriminatory and inclusive policies that help them realize their rights and aspirations as productive members of society. Social protection also contributes to meeting their health care, maternal protection and social participation needs.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Women
- Year
- 2015
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
The right of persons with disabilities to social protection 2015, para. 61
- Paragraph text
- Lastly, targeting methods have to take account of persons with disabilities. While self-targeting (i.e. where persons with disabilities self-enrol into programmes) can be an interesting alternative to disability assessments, it may have a limited impact if the information and procedures for applying are inaccessible. Similarly, although community-based targeting to identify recipients for cash or in-kind benefits promotes the involvement of local agents or institutions, there is a risk that the decision makers exclude persons with disabilities.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2015
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
The right of persons with disabilities to social protection 2015, para. 38
- Paragraph text
- Women and girls with disabilities face many difficulties in accessing adequate housing, health care, education, vocational training and employment, and are more likely to be institutionalized and experience poverty. The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities recognizes that women and girls with disabilities are subject to multiple forms of discrimination, and provides for their equal and full enjoyment of all human rights and fundamental freedoms. It also requires States to ensure that they have equal access to social protection and poverty reduction programmes.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Poverty
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Persons with disabilities
- Women
- Year
- 2015
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
The right of persons with disabilities to social protection 2015, para. 39
- Paragraph text
- Accordingly, States must ensure that social protection programmes address the imbalances of power and the multiple forms of discrimination experienced by women and girls with disabilities. States should take steps to eliminate the barriers that prevent them from accessing social protection programmes and ensure that social protection systems take into account both disability-related and gender-related factors in the design and implementation of such programmes. Non-contributory schemes, in particular, play an important role, as women with disabilities are often excluded from the formal labour market. States should also acknowledge the role of women with disabilities as caregivers, including older women with disabilities, by providing them with appropriate assistance to perform care responsibilities without reinforcing patterns of discrimination and negative stereotyping.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Persons with disabilities
- Women
- Year
- 2015
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
The right of persons with disabilities to social protection 2015, para. 41
- Paragraph text
- Social protection systems must also respond to the needs of heterogeneous groups within the disability community, including those that may be easily forgotten in policymaking, such as deaf persons, autistic persons, and persons with psychosocial or intellectual disabilities. Impairment-specific considerations may be relevant for the purpose of providing targeted support services, for instance for people who are blind, deaf or deaf-blind. It is worth noting, however, that traditional disability-welfare approaches under the medical model de facto promoted inequality among the diversity of persons with disabilities by adopting legislation that benefited certain groups of persons with disabilities while excluding others. The deprivation of legal capacity faced by many persons with disabilities has also led to systematic discrimination in accessing their right to social protection and control over support provided.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2015
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
Mandate, working methods, work plan for the mandate 2015, para. 12c
- Paragraph text
- [The Human Rights Council, in its resolution 26/20, decided to appoint, for a period of three years, a Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities with the following mandate:] To make concrete recommendations on how to better promote and protect the rights of persons with disabilities, including on how to contribute to the realization of internationally agreed development goals for persons with disabilities, including the Millennium Development Goals, how to promote development that is inclusive of and accessible to persons with disabilities, and how to promote their role as both agents for and beneficiaries of development;
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2015
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
Mandate, working methods, work plan for the mandate 2015, para. 6
- Paragraph text
- In 1993, the General Assembly adopted the Standard Rules on the Equalization of Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities. This non-binding document anchored the issue of disability in a framework of non-discrimination and equal opportunity, and served as an instrument to advance the rights of persons with disabilities in the context of social development and beyond. The Rules created a monitoring mechanism within the framework of the Commission for Social Development, namely, a Special Rapporteur on Disability, tasked with assisting States in assessing and measuring their progress in implementing the Rules, providing advisory services, identifying obstacles and suggesting suitable measures that would contribute to the successful implementation of the Rules. The monitoring mechanism also included a panel of experts created by international organizations representing persons with disabilities. Between 1994 and 2014, the Commission appointed three Special Rapporteurs on Disability, who played an instrumental role in advancing the global disability agenda.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2015
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
Mandate, working methods, work plan for the mandate 2015, para. 19e
- Paragraph text
- [The Special Rapporteur will be guided by the following overarching considerations in all aspects of her work:] Accessibility. In the work of the Special Rapporteur, accessibility will be relevant mainly in two interdependent ways. First, there is an aim to ensure full accessibility of events, meetings and documentation in the official duties of the mandate holder. Second, accessibility will be seen as a cross-cutting issue in the substantive work of the Special Rapporteur, ensuring that it is fully present in national legislative frameworks, and in policy and programming, as well as a priority area of United Nations agencies, funds and programmes and other close partners.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Year
- 2015
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
Disability-inclusive policies 2016, para. 35
- Paragraph text
- In order to ensure consistency and progress effectively towards full accessibility, States should establish national standards and regulations on accessibility and universal design, including on access to information and communications technologies, in order to provide clear guidance for those designing and implementing policies and programmes. Such standards do not need be developed from scratch. The International Organization for Standardization has published an accessibility guide and model standards. Similarly, the International Telecommunication Union has developed guidelines and recommendations related to the accessibility of telecommunications and information and communications technologies for persons with disabilities. All those standards can be adapted to country-specific contexts.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2016
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
Disability-inclusive policies 2016, para. 15
- Paragraph text
- The cost of exclusion is significant not only for persons with disabilities and their families, but also for a country's economy. When persons with disabilities face barriers to participation, they are less likely to be able to work and thus contribute less to the economy. Even when they do work, they tend to earn less than their non-disabled peers because of their more limited access to education (including higher education), good quality jobs and loans to start businesses. A study by the International Labour Organization in 2009 estimated that the cost of excluding persons with disabilities could amount to between 1 and 7 per cent of a country's gross domestic product. Those percentages might actually be understated, as they do not consider the costs of the reduced work time and wages of family members who are responsible for caring for relatives with disabilities, owing to a lack of support or the barrier-free environment that persons with disabilities need to be more independent; nor do they take into account the future lost earnings of children without disabilities who forego some education because of increased responsibilities at home.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2016
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
Disability-inclusive policies 2016, para. 38
- Paragraph text
- Funding for reasonable accommodations to ensure short-term case-by-case solutions to enable access is also important. An example would be providing a portable ramp to a student using a wheelchair in an inaccessible school. Although that measure would remove the barrier for that individual, it does not make the environment more inclusive. As such, it is a stop-gap measure that must be accompanied by a time-bound plan to make the programmes and services fully inclusive. The lack of accessibility cannot be invoked as an excuse by States to avoid their obligation to ensure access to the existing physical environment, transportation, information and communications and services. In such cases, reasonable accommodations must be provided.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2016
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
Disability-inclusive policies 2016, para. 39
- Paragraph text
- The enforcement of accessibility regulations and standards needs to be improved in many States. Contributions to the present report highlight a low level of implementation of accessibility policies or programmes worldwide. Accessibility enforcement mechanisms are often the responsibility of local governmental authorities, but many of them have no monitoring capacity. In addition, regulations for the conservation of heritage buildings are very often invoked to justify non-compliance by a State with accessibility regulations and thus old buildings remain inaccessible to persons with disabilities.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2016
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
Disability-inclusive policies 2016, para. 32
- Paragraph text
- Accessibility is a requirement to build barrier-free, inclusive societies where people can live independently and participate fully in all aspects of life and in their communities. Without access to the physical environment, transportation and information and communications, persons with disabilities cannot exercise their rights, participate in and benefit from development programmes and policies. All physical infrastructures, including buildings, transport systems, public spaces and any other facilities, should be designed in a way that they can be fully accessed and used by persons with disabilities. That includes not only entrances, hallways, rooms, restrooms and emergency evacuation routes, but also furniture and devices available for public use, such as elevators, counters, blackboards and cash machines. All information and communications should also be designed in an accessible manner, including signage, announcements, documents and television and radio broadcasts. When accessible information and communications are not available, a range of persons with different disabilities cannot effectively benefit from public policies and programmes.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2016
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
The right of persons with disabilities to participate in decision-making 2016, para. 27
- Paragraph text
- An inclusive society is one that values and celebrates diversity and recognizes that individuals with different experiences, talents and viewpoints bring new ideas and solutions. By bringing complementary and diverse perspectives, persons with disabilities can make a significant contribution to policymaking and decision-making, foster opportunities for innovation and efficiency, and better reflect the diverse demands of citizens. States that encourage the active participation of all their citizens, including persons with disabilities, are more likely to reduce tensions and thus increase social cohesion.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2016
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
The right of persons with disabilities to participate in decision-making 2016, para. 28
- Paragraph text
- Participation in itself can be a transformative tool for social change. Efforts to actively involve persons with disabilities in decision-making processes are important not only because they result in better decisions and more efficient outcomes, but also because they promote agency and empowerment. Through participation, citizens become more involved in public decisions and more informed about how policymaking works and how they can contribute to it. When persons with disabilities get involved in public decision-making, they develop advocacy and negotiation skills that enable them to better express their views and realize their aspirations. The more that persons with disabilities participate in such processes, the stronger their voices become. Indeed, an increase in social capital is strongly linked to an increase in participation.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2016
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
The right of persons with disabilities to participate in decision-making 2016, para. 29
- Paragraph text
- The effective and meaningful participation of persons with disabilities can also promote a sense of ownership. Ownership among citizens should not be interpreted narrowly or underestimated, as it reinforces public acceptance and the successful implementation of public policy. Effective participation of persons with disabilities in all stages of policymaking will develop their sense of ownership and responsibility vis-à-vis public decisions and can reinforce the interest of administrations in decision-making driven by public preference. Accordingly, such participation may contribute to enhanced public trust and reduced opposition to governments' decisions. Disability groups would also have the opportunity to develop a closer relationship with decision makers and policymakers and to influence the advocacy of other groups.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2016
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
The right of persons with disabilities to participate in decision-making 2016, para. 45
- Paragraph text
- States often justify and legitimize their interventions into an organization's functioning by claiming the need to enhance accountability and transparency, or to harmonize or coordinate their activities, when the real intention is, in most cases, to silence dissident opinions and turn such organizations into governmental appendages. However, representative organizations of persons with disabilities are not part of the public sector and cannot be subjected to regulation and control, unless it is prescribed by law and is necessary to protect a legitimate interest in a democratic society. States must also ensure that members of representative organizations of persons with disabilities have unfettered access to an independent and impartial judicial body to resolve any internal disputes.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2016
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
The right of persons with disabilities to participate in decision-making 2016, para. 47
- Paragraph text
- Capacity-building is another key component for the effective and meaningful participation of persons with disabilities. Advocacy is more likely to be successful when organizations work strategically, have a clear understanding of policy processes and invest in people skills. The empowerment of persons with disabilities involves the development of technical, administrative and communication skills, as well as the facilitation of access to information and tools concerning their rights, legislation and policymaking. Implementation of the many innovations in the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities requires a strong and independent disability movement, one that can adequately respond to the demands of participation on all matters relevant to the movement.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2016
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
Disability-inclusive policies 2016, para. 66
- Paragraph text
- Implementation and evaluation should also be conducted in a participatory manner. Efforts should be made to recruit persons with disabilities into the State apparatus and to positions with private entities contracted by Governments. States should explore partnerships with representative organizations of persons with disabilities for the provision of services in order to gain inputs from users of services themselves, without waiving their primary responsibility for service provision. All monitoring and evaluation systems should examine the level of engagement of persons with disabilities in all policies and programmes.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2016
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
Disability-inclusive policies 2016, para. 67
- Paragraph text
- National strategies and plans for the inclusion of persons with disabilities must be cross-cutting and comprehensive, with clear lines of accountability as to which State authorities are responsible for implementing them and in what time frame. States must designate an entity with the required authority for overseeing the implementation of such strategies, including requesting and receiving reports and other internal data from other line ministries in order to effectively monitor their actions in implementing disability-inclusive policies. States must also ensure that the agencies mandated with the different aspects of implementation are provided with adequate resources for that purpose. Government focal points and coordination mechanisms to advance and facilitate the implementation of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities should be considered for that purpose, as foreseen in article 33 (1) of the Convention.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2016
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
The right of persons with disabilities to participate in decision-making 2016, para. 83
- Paragraph text
- States parties to international and regional human rights instruments have an obligation to ensure that their domestic legislation is consistent with international standards. The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities requires States to adopt all the appropriate legislative measures to implement the human rights and fundamental freedoms of persons with disabilities, and to repeal any inconsistent legislation. Therefore, States should undertake a holistic review of the adequacy of their existing legislation, in view of their obligations under the Convention. During this process, States must closely consult with and actively involve persons with disabilities through their representative organizations.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2016
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
The right of persons with disabilities to participate in decision-making 2016, para. 85
- Paragraph text
- While the legislative process may vary from country to country, legislatures should guarantee the participation of persons with disabilities throughout the entire process, including in deliberative assemblies or chambers that debate and vote on draft laws concerning issues relating to persons with disabilities. National legislatures should establish specific provisions in their rules of procedure to enable the participation of representative organizations of persons with disabilities in advisory groups and legislative committees, as well as in public hearings and online consultations. The accessibility of facilities and procedures must also be guaranteed.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2016
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
The right of persons with disabilities to participate in decision-making 2016, para. 86
- Paragraph text
- The right of persons with disabilities to participate in public decision-making also covers public budgeting processes. Representative organizations of persons with disabilities can play an important role in public budgeting, by providing critical information on the concerns, needs and priorities of persons with disabilities. The participation of persons with disabilities and their representative organizations in public budgets ensures that resources are allocated to priority areas, and that bodies implementing mainstream and disability-specific policies and programmes are held accountable for their performance.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Economic Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2016
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
The right of persons with disabilities to participate in decision-making 2016, para. 88
- Paragraph text
- Contributions to the present report have illustrated that persons with disabilities and their representative organizations are generally excluded from public budgeting processes. Inadequate resource allocation and inadequate identification of priority areas, including for funding participatory mechanisms and for representative organizations of persons with disabilities, are of concern. States must therefore adopt a framework that facilitates the participation of persons with disabilities and their representative organizations at all stages of the budgeting process.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Economic Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2016
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
The right of persons with disabilities to participate in decision-making 2016, para. 98
- Paragraph text
- International cooperation agencies should directly engage with and support representative organizations of persons with disabilities, and should consider increasing funding to achieve that engagement and support. In recent years, many donors have reduced the number of regions and countries in which they operate, thereby affecting organizations of persons with disabilities in middle-income countries. Additionally, funding is often tied to the condition that organizations must provide a percentage of co-funding from another source, but many representative organizations of persons with disabilities are unable to comply with this requirement and are thus excluded from such aid. Donors should take this factor into account and show flexibility in their conditions.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2016
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
The right of persons with disabilities to participate in decision-making 2016, para. 99
- Paragraph text
- The right of persons with disabilities to participate in political and public life on an equal basis with others encompasses the right to participate in decision-making. The latter is an essential condition for a human rights-based approach to development and the realization of the Sustainable Development Goals. The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities provides a robust framework for guaranteeing the participation of representative organizations of persons with disabilities, and their active involvement and participation in public decision-making. States must embrace these obligations as an opportunity to enhance good and effective governance and to foster agency and empowerment among persons with disabilities.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2016
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
The right of persons with disabilities to participate in decision-making 2016, para. 100b
- Paragraph text
- [The Special Rapporteur offers the following recommendations to assist States in realizing the right of persons with disabilities to participate in decision-making:] Create an enabling environment for the establishment and functioning of representative organizations of persons with disabilities, especially by: (i) Adopting a policy framework favourable to their establishment and sustained operation; (ii) Guaranteeing their independence and autonomy from the State; (iii) Providing support for capacity-building; (iv) Securing access to funding mechanisms, including public funding and international cooperation;
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2016
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
The right of persons with disabilities to participate in decision-making 2016, para. 100c
- Paragraph text
- [The Special Rapporteur offers the following recommendations to assist States in realizing the right of persons with disabilities to participate in decision-making:] Adopt legislation to require State authorities to closely consult with and actively involve persons with disabilities, including children and women with disabilities, through their representative organizations, in the development and implementation of legislation and policies that directly or indirectly concern them. States should establish formal mechanisms and remedies to challenge decisions that do not adhere to this requirement;
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Persons with disabilities
- Women
- Year
- 2016
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
The right of persons with disabilities to participate in decision-making 2016, para. 100d
- Paragraph text
- [The Special Rapporteur offers the following recommendations to assist States in realizing the right of persons with disabilities to participate in decision-making:] Engage with women and girls with disabilities and secure their direct participation in all processes of public decision-making, and guarantee that such participation and consultation is conducted in a safe environment, particularly in processes relating to the development of legislative or policy measures regarding violence and sexual abuse;
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Persons with disabilities
- Women
- Year
- 2016
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
Access to rights-based support for persons with disabilities 2017, para. 70
- Paragraph text
- International cooperation can play a crucial role in the implementation of support systems. Donor countries and international organizations should consider increasing funding for the design and development of sustainable national support systems and securing the necessary funds to implement development aid inclusive of the support arrangements required by persons with disabilities. For example, when funding national education systems, donors should take into account the obligation to provide support to children and adolescents with disabilities within the general education system to facilitate their effective education.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Adolescents
- Children
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2017
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
Access to rights-based support for persons with disabilities 2017, para. 64
- Paragraph text
- States should promote collaboration and partnerships between public authorities and civil society organizations, including representative organizations of persons with disabilities, in the area of provision of support, particularly at the subnational and operational levels. In this way, support systems can benefit from the outreach capacity of organizations of persons with disabilities, their knowledge of local contexts and their mobilization and advocacy capacity. For instance, in Kenya the Government funds organizations of persons with psychosocial disabilities to run peer support groups in seven counties that facilitate support for decision-making and community living.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2017
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
Access to rights-based support for persons with disabilities 2017, para. 65
- Paragraph text
- States must ensure that all persons with disabilities enjoy equal access to quality support without discrimination. Public and private service providers and agencies cannot deny access to support on the basis of disability, whether directly or indirectly, and they must ensure the provision of reasonable accommodation to all those who may require it. States should review all eligibility criteria and assessments from a human rights perspective to ensure they are not discriminatory, in line with the recommendations included in the Special Rapporteur's thematic study on the right of persons with disabilities to social protection (A/70/297).
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2017
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
Access to rights-based support for persons with disabilities 2017, para. 66
- Paragraph text
- States must abolish discriminatory practices in the provision of support. For instance, many States continue to rely on institutional and residential care and provide support services predominantly in those settings. Furthermore, the existence of guardianship and other substitute decision-making regimes present great challenges for persons with disabilities in accessing support services. These practices not only deprive them of the possibility to choose their supports, but also contribute to perpetuating their isolation, forced treatment and institutionalization. States should not bundle access to support with such requirements as accepting certain residential arrangements or undergoing medical treatment. Stigma and discrimination also have a negative impact on access to support services by persons with disabilities. Misconceptions about them often result in hiding persons with disabilities at home, and even attacks against them, such as in the case of persons with albinism. Consequently, many persons with disabilities fail to receive the necessary support and instead survive in dire conditions.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2017
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
Access to rights-based support for persons with disabilities 2017, para. 76
- Paragraph text
- Some persons with disabilities may want support to make decisions, hence to exercise their legal capacity. The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities explicitly recognizes that States have an obligation to provide persons with disabilities with access to support in the exercise of their legal capacity (art. 12 (3)). States must replace regimes of substitute decision-making with regimes of supported decision-making that respect the rights, will and preferences of persons with disabilities, such as support agreements, peer support groups, self-advocacy support and advance directives, among others. In its general comment No. 1 (2014) on equal recognition before the law, the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities provides guidance on how to ensure access to support in decision-making.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2017
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
Access to rights-based support for persons with disabilities 2017, para. 79
- Paragraph text
- Contributions to the present report illustrate different ways in which States provide support in the area of communication. For example, Cuba has certified 455 sign language interpreters who work in coordination with the National Association of the Deaf, the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Higher Education, while Colombia has set up an online relay centre that facilitates the communication of deaf persons with anyone in the country through interpretation services. Deaf persons can also learn to use information and communications technology and be trained as interpreters.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Year
- 2017
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
Access to rights-based support for persons with disabilities 2017, para. 69
- Paragraph text
- States must refrain from adopting retrogressive measures that affect their obligation to ensure access to support for persons with disabilities. In times of crisis, more support is needed, rather than cuts (ibid., para. 85). Reduction and caps on direct payments, personal budgets and other benefits; stricter eligibility criteria; the elimination or reduction of subsidies and tax credits; and reduced expenditures on community support services, such as in-home services and personal assistance, affect the right to live independently and be included in the community and to an adequate standard of living. States should ensure sufficient resources for individual funds to enable persons with disabilities to access appropriate support.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2017
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
Mandate, working methods, work plan for the mandate 2015, para. 12d
- Paragraph text
- [The Human Rights Council, in its resolution 26/20, decided to appoint, for a period of three years, a Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities with the following mandate:] To conduct, facilitate and support the provision of advisory services, technical assistance, capacity-building and international cooperation in support of national efforts for the effective realization of the rights of persons with disabilities;
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2015
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
Sexual and reproductive health and rights of girls and young women with disabilities 2017, para. 40
- Paragraph text
- States must immediately repeal all legislation and regulatory provisions that allow the administration of contraceptives to and the performance of abortion, sterilization or other surgical procedures on girls and young women with disabilities without their free and informed consent, and/or when decided by a third party. Furthermore, States should consider adopting protocols to regulate and request the free and informed consent of girls and young women with disabilities with regard to all medical procedures. Colombia, for example, recently adopted regulations for the delivery of sexual and reproductive health services to persons with disabilities, which include references to the provision of reasonable accommodation and support in decision-making. Laws permitting substituted decision-making and involuntary treatment of persons with disabilities must also be revoked.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Persons with disabilities
- Women
- Youth
- Year
- 2017
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
Sexual and reproductive health and rights of girls and young women with disabilities 2017, para. 41
- Paragraph text
- The rights of and needs of girls and young women with disabilities must be mainstreamed and addressed by States in all policies and programmes on sexual and reproductive health and rights. Many States have a range of policies and strategies that specifically address both the rights of persons with disabilities and sexual and reproductive health and rights, but those are usually disconnected and do not include a child, youth or gender perspective. Moreover, where policies and strategies identify persons with disabilities as key vulnerable groups, there is generally little focus on the specific challenges faced by girls and young women with disabilities. States must ensure that their health-care systems and services meet the specific sexual and reproductive health needs of adolescents with disabilities.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Girls
- Persons with disabilities
- Women
- Youth
- Year
- 2017
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
Sexual and reproductive health and rights of girls and young women with disabilities 2017, para. 42
- Paragraph text
- Sexual and reproductive health care must be provided for free or at an affordable cost to all girls and young women with disabilities, including access to products and medicines. Universal health coverage can increase their access to quality sexual and reproductive health care. Social protection systems also help to address the additional costs that girls and young women with disabilities face when accessing sexual and reproductive health care, and to facilitate support services for those who might need it (see A/70/297, paras. 4-9, and A/HRC/34/58, para. 68). States must also ensure that girls and young women with disabilities benefit from the same range and quality of sexual and reproductive health services and programmes as other women and girls.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Persons with disabilities
- Women
- Youth
- Year
- 2017
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
Sexual and reproductive health and rights of girls and young women with disabilities 2017, para. 15
- Paragraph text
- The Convention addresses the rights of girls and women with disabilities in a cross-cutting manner, adopting a twin-track approach. On one hand, it includes specific articles on women and children with disabilities (see arts. 6 and 7); on the other, it refers to them in the general principles and other substantive articles (see arts. 3, 4, 8, 13, 16, 18, 23, 25 and 30). Article 6 recognizes that women and girls with disabilities are subject to multiple discriminations and requires States to adopt measures to ensure their full and equal enjoyment of rights, as well as their full development, advancement and empowerment. States must systematically mainstream the interests and rights of girls with disabilities in and across all national action plans, strategies and policies concerning women, childhood and disability, as well as in their sectoral plans. They must also target and monitor action aimed specifically at girls with disabilities, including their sexual and reproductive health and rights.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Girls
- Persons with disabilities
- Women
- Year
- 2017
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
Sexual and reproductive health and rights of girls and young women with disabilities 2017, para. 16
- Paragraph text
- Article 7 of the Convention provides that States must take measures to ensure the full enjoyment of rights by children with disabilities, consider the principle of best interests and respect their evolving capacities. The Convention requires States to ensure that boys and girls with disabilities have the right to express their views freely on all matters affecting them, their views being given due weight in accordance with their age and maturity, on an equal basis with other children, and to be provided with disability and age-appropriate assistance to realize that right (see art. 7, para. 3). The Convention thus reinforces the obligations of States to recognize and respect the evolving capacities of children with disabilities and to provide support to strengthen their capacities to enable independent decision-making. As stressed by the Committee on the Rights of the Child, the young age or the disability of a child does not deprive her or him of the right to express her or his views, nor reduces the weight given to the child’s views in determining her or his best interests.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Boys
- Children
- Girls
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2017
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
Sexual and reproductive health and rights of girls and young women with disabilities 2017, para. 21
- Paragraph text
- Girls and young women with disabilities belonging to groups that have been historically disadvantaged or discriminated against, such as indigenous peoples, religious and ethnic minorities, poor or rural populations, migrants and refugees, and lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex persons, experience multiple and intersectional forms of discrimination in the exercise of their sexual and reproductive health and rights. For example, indigenous girls and women with disabilities face a higher risk of experiencing early marriage, sexual violence and unwanted pregnancy. Girls with disabilities, particularly those with intellectual disabilities, also encounter significant barriers to asserting their sexual orientation because parents and guardians often deny and supress their views.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Girls
- LGBTQI+
- Persons with disabilities
- Women
- Youth
- Year
- 2017
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
The right of persons with disabilities to social protection 2015, para. 4
- Paragraph text
- Social protection constitutes an essential condition for social and economic development for all. In fact, effective national social protection systems can contribute to building inclusive societies and social cohesion by protecting individuals from social risk and deprivation. They are not only a powerful instrument for providing income security and reducing poverty and inequality, but play an important role in enhancing human potential, enabling individuals to access food, health care, education, employment and financial means.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Poverty
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2015
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
The right of persons with disabilities to social protection 2015, para. 88g
- Paragraph text
- [The Special Rapporteur makes the following recommendations to States with the aim of assisting them in developing and implementing disability- inclusive social protection systems:] Develop disability-related indicators, undertake research on social protection and collect data, disaggregated on the basis of disability and gender, to adequately assess the impact of social protection programmes on persons with disabilities;
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2015
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
The right of persons with disabilities to social protection 2015, para. 88h
- Paragraph text
- [The Special Rapporteur makes the following recommendations to States with the aim of assisting them in developing and implementing disability- inclusive social protection systems:] Establish formal consultative mechanisms to ensure the active involvement and participation of persons with disabilities and their representative organizations in decision-making processes related to social protection, including in relation to budget cuts;
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2015
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph
The right of persons with disabilities to social protection 2015, para. 88i
- Paragraph text
- [The Special Rapporteur makes the following recommendations to States with the aim of assisting them in developing and implementing disability- inclusive social protection systems:] Encourage international cooperation to support inclusive social protection systems, facilitate cooperation to make mainstream social protection programmes inclusive of persons with disabilities, and develop and improve disability-specific programmes and services.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2015
- Year
- Item does not have this property
Paragraph