Ethiopian Reporter - English Version - Shaping policies to end miseries of disabled people

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Shaping policies to end miseries of disabled people

Saturday, 24 May 2008

By Melaku Demissied

On May 3, 2008, just three weeks ago, the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) came into force. The Convention, which UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has called "a powerful tool to eradicate the obstacles faced by persons with disabilities," was adopted by the General Assembly on 13 December 2006, and was opened for signature and ratification on 30 March 2007. Since then it has been signed by 127 countries and ratified by 25. This week, at the UNECA conference hall participants from all parts of the UN family, senior representatives of governments, other international organizations, academics, practitioners, entrepreneurs, and non-governmental organizations and disabled peoples organizations from around the world were converged in Addis Ababa to discus what kind of changes are required to combat poverty, lack of access and discrimination that people with disabilities face. They also have drawn up a global call for action to ensure that persons with disabilities have full and equal enjoyment of all human rights.

The participants of the conference addressed the need for persons with disabilities to have to public transport, buildings and other facilities and recognize their capacity to make decisions for themselves. They said that by ratifying the Convention, states commit themselves to enact laws and other measures to improve disability rights and also abolish legislation, customs and practices that discriminate against persons with disabilities.

Many of the participants said that the challenge now is to encourage the governments to implement the changes needed to ensure that persons with disabilities have full and equal enjoyment of all human rights. The participation of persons with disabilities and disabled peoples' organizations in governments' implementation of the Convention will be vital to its success.

According to UN, there are approximately 650 million people with disabilities worldwide, perhaps ten percent of the population. Without the inclusion of the disabled people, global policies to tackle poverty and international development targets such as the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and poverty reduction strategies will not be effective.

The UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities pointed out that as a familiar instrument of international human rights law, this Convention was created with passion, dedication and cooperation. Governments, disabled peoples organizations, independent organizations and individuals have kept up the momentum to ensure both signing and ratification.

With up to 66 percent of people with disabilities living in poverty, and the conference discussed the interrelated themes of poverty, disability, and access. Disability needs to be seen as part of the overall picture of poverty in developing countries, yet it is important to note that a person's economic situation is just one aspect of poverty. Poverty also includes lack of individual freedom, lack of opportunity and lack of social networks. Restricted access to education, training, employment and other services is also both a type of poverty in itself and a cause of people's difficulty or inability to meet their other needs.

The economic inactivity of people with disabilities has further consequences for themselves, their families and their countries. In some cases, people who do not contribute to the family income may be considered to be a burden. Even in countries where state benefits are available, people who do not work often have a lower standard of living than those who are employed. When such safety nets are not available, people with disabilities may contribute to the general level of poverty within a society.

The field of human rights has been enlarged by the Convention, enabling pertinent bodies for the first time to approach the subject from the perspective of the needs and rights of persons with disabilities. Although the rights of people with disabilities are theoretically guaranteed by existing human rights treaties, in reality disabled people are often deprived of those rights. Many people with disabilities are also unaware of their rights and these factors, combined with negative attitudes towards disability, can contribute to social exclusion and poverty.

Disabled people's access to education, employment and services are severely affected by these problems in most countries around the world. For instance, according to UNESCO, over 90 percent children with disabilities in developing countries do not go to school. According to the UK government's Department for International Development (DFIF), mortality among disabled children is as high as 80 percent in countries where average under-five mortality has fallen below 20 percent.

At the moment, only 45 countries have legislation dealing with discrimination against people with disabilities. That is why participants of the conference believe that the Convention will give impetus to those who seek to address this, particularly disabled peoples organizations who will need to participate in the legislative process.

During the sessions it was mentioned that buildings, streets, services, sources of information and communication technology all needed to be accessible to be used. Accessibility is more than adapting the physical environment, rather it refers to enabling people to participate fully in all aspects of society.

Across the world, many people with disabilities have either limited or no access to education, employment, housing and transport. They may also lack the right to express their sexuality and have children and opportunities to access political and social life. The growing use of information and communication technology is an area that can both help and hinder access. A growing digital divide threatens to intensify inequalities, but technology and software can also improve access for people with disabilities, particularly those with sensory impairments.

To ensure that innovation in technology supports rather than hinders access, new standards of e-accessibility provide guidelines on access that can be adopted by governments, private entities and other organizations throughout the world. All of these issues are addressed by the Convention, which states that persons with disabilities have the right to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health and quality of life without discrimination on the basis of disability.

Maria Veronica Reina, executive director of Global Partnership on Disability and Development, said that there is a sizable gap between the social and economic conditions of people with and without disabilities. People with disabilities are over-represented among the poorest people in developing countries and the gap cannot be overcome in a sustainable way through charitable approaches alone.

According to her, by producing a paradigm shift, the Convention can provide an enabling, barrier free environment for people with disabilities, including adequate services to support equal opportunities. The treaty's provisions require states both to refrain taking negative measures and to adopt policies and programs to promote the social and the social and economic rights of people with disabilities.

Barbara Murray, senior specialist with the ILO said that the Convention represents a dramatic change in the way that many countries can shape policies and programs to facilitate opportunities for disabled women and men of working age. Around 470 million people stand to gain from the Convention's call on states to recognize the right of persons with disabilities to work on equal basis with others. This includes gaining living by work freely chosen or accepted in a labor market and work environment that is open, inclusive and accessible to persons with disabilities.

Her presentation examined the ways in which states are required to move towards the achievement of this provision. This includes the prohibition of discrimination of disability in all forms of employment, the opening of opportunities in mainstream workplaces in both the public and private sectors and the promotion of self employment opportunities. It also looks at the elements states need to put in place to facilitate this, for instance the access of disabled persons to general technical and vocational guidance programs. Other needs will include placement services and vocational and continuing training, as well as vocational rehabilitation, job retention and return to work programs.

As the 21st century's first international human rights treaty, the Convention is expected to be the potential for the beginning of the end - an end to poverty, discrimination and lack of access for disabled people. The Convention is believed effectively to end denial of basic human rights for people with disabilities. It is also an end to a period when this denial can be overlooked by the world.

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