United Nations Convention On The Rights Of Persons With Disabilities Research Articles

The Ethical, Legal, and Social Implications of Genomics and Disability: Findings from a Scoping Review and Their Human Rights Implications

ObjectivesGenomic advancements affect people with disabilities. This paper presents the findings of a scoping literature review on the ethical, legal, and social implications (ELSI) of genomic technologies for people with disability. The human rights implications of the ELSI findings are then discussed briefly with reference to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD).MethodsA systematic search of the ELSI literature was conducted. Via a process of abstract screening and full-text review, 288 sources of evidence were included in the review. Data extraction involved identifying the ELSI discussed in each source, which were thematically analysed to generate ELSI themes and to identify relevant linkages to the UNCRPD.ResultsTen ELSI themes were identified as having relevant UNCRPD linkages including reproductive autonomy, issues related to cost and access, the downside of knowing about one’s genetic makeup, lagging legislation in light of the rapid advancement of genomic technologies, genetic discrimination, the stigmatisation and devaluation of people with disabilities, the potential resurgence of eugenics and the medical model of disability, and the involvement of people with disabilities in conversations about genomic technologies. These themes have relevant and direct linkages to several UNCRPD rights including equality, non-discrimination, diversity, accessibility, full participation, identity, and freedom of expression.ConclusionsThe review findings highlight that there is scope for the development of a charter on human rights specific to genomic technologies in the context of disability, which could guide ethical and socially appropriate developments in the field of genomic technologies in future.

A Critical Appraisal of Disability Laws in Islamic Republic of Pakistan

In Pakistan, the proportion of Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) has significantly risen. This weaker section of society was habitually neglected, exposed to discrimination, put to legal violations, and banned from practically all advanced vocations while disregarding their other abilities for participation in the routine affairs of life. There was no dynamic legislative framework in place and no forward-thinking research to defend the rights of these PWDs in Pakistan. The problems that PWDs are now experiencing appear to be caused by excessive social, physical, and attitudinal action or inaction on the part of society. Therefore, it is essential that Pakistan's present laws be evaluated from the perspective of international human rights treaties and that administrative measures be put into place at the national level to eliminate the exploitation faced by PWDs. After ratifying the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD), Pakistan has built a legislative framework for PWDs, but its efficacy remains unexplored. The article will thoroughly discuss the framework and its efficacy. In discussing PWDs' rights under the UNCRPD, the article emphasizes the active fundamental liberties that PWDs enjoy. The study will also discuss PWDs' challenges in Pakistan and the subtle bias that impedes their advancement. Ultimately, it will offer suggestions for improving legislation and implementation mechanisms to advance the welfare of PWDs in Pakistan.

Special Class Provision in Ireland: Where We Have Come from and Where We Might Go

Ireland’s ratification of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) raises questions about the future role of special schools and classes in the country. Internationally, Ireland has had a relatively low number of students in separate educational provision at just over 2% of the student population. However, there has been a large increase in special class provision in mainstream schools that warrants critique. This paper analyses the history of special class provision in Ireland to suggest a possible developmental role for such classes in moving towards a greater whole school inclusion.

How Did Governments Address the Needs of People With Disabilities During the COVID-19 Pandemic? An Analysis of 14 Countries' Policies Based on the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons With Disabilities.

People with disabilities have experienced heightened social risks in the context of the pandemic, resulting in higher rates of infection and mortality. They have also borne elevated burdens associated with public health measures. The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) obliges its 184 state parties to eliminate discrimination and ensure equality and inclusion for persons with disabilities, including protection and safety in situations of emergency. It remains unclear to what extent national COVID-19 policies have aligned with these commitments under the UNCRPD. Our objective in this exploratory study was to assess alignment between the UNCRPD indicators and COVID-19 policies from 14 countries with the goal of informing policy development that is inclusive of persons with disabilities and responsive to rights under the UNCRPD. We identified COVID-19 policy documents from 14 purposively selected countries. Country selection considered diversity based on geographic regions and national income levels, with restriction to those countries that had ratified the UNCRPD and had English or French as an official language. We used a computational text mining approach and developed a complex multilevel dictionary or categorization model based on the UNCRPD Bridging the Gap indicators proposed by the Office of the High Commissioner on Human Rights (OHCHR). This dictionary was used to assess the extent to which indicators across the entirety of the UNCRPD were represented in the selected policies. We analyzed frequency of associations with UNCRPD, as well as conducting 'key word in context' analyses to identify themes. We identified 764 COVID-19 national policy documents from the period of January 2020 to June 2021. When analyzed in relation to the Articles of the UNCRPD, the most frequently identified were Articles 11 (risk and humanitarian emergencies), 23 (home and family), 24 (education), and 19 (community living). Six countries produced 27 policies that were specifically focused on disability. Common themes within these documents included continuation of services, intersectionality and equity, and disability considerations in regulations and public health measures. Analyzing country policies in light of the UNCRPD offers important insights about how these policies do and do not align with states' commitments. As new policies are developed and existing ones revised, more comprehensive approaches to addressing the rights of persons with disabilities are urgently needed.

Factors Influencing Employability of Persons with Disabilities in India: A Systematic Review Protocol

Employment is a social determinant of health. There is compelling evidence that work improves general health and well-being and reduces psychological stress. People with disabilities are more likely to be unemployed and generally earn less even when employed. Despite the recent strides in terms of legislative frameworks aligned to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) 2004 (which India ratified in 2007) like the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (RPWD) act 2016, the social reality of the employment status of the Persons with Disabilities (PwDs) is in stark contrast. Several barriers contribute to the disadvantages experienced by people with disabilities while seeking jobs and retention of meaningful employment. Literature showed many studies regarding employment-related issues particularly employability of PwDs, but very few have studied local factors coming into play. This study aims to develop a systematic review protocol to systematically analyze and synthesize the existing knowledge within this area in India for planning future interventions. The protocol has already been registered to PROSPERO International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews. (Registration ID. CRD42023407717) Keywords: Persons with disabilities, Systematic review protocol, Employment, Health care, Sustainable development, Indian context, Rights of persons with disabilities

Politics and Differently Abled Persons in India in the 21st Century

Politics is a major and integral part of society. Every individual who is physically impaired is also involved and affects the political process. The concept of a disabled person has modified into a differently abled person as disability depends upon the almighty’s decision or not in our hand so it’s never be neglected. India is a democratic and developing country; differently-abled people are also a part of the people. Without their political inclusion and participation, we cannot imagine the development of a democratic state. People possessing the nationality of a country are called citizens. All citizens have the right to say about, regulate, or access their own country’s progress and prosperity. The main motto of this presentation is to identify the Political Rights of Indian citizens. It also identifies the Political Rights of differently-abled persons in the 21st century. As Article 29 of UNCRPD (United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities) said, all people with disabilities have the same right to take part in politics as other citizens. Convention says that governments must be confirmed about the accessibility of differently-abled persons in the election process. This means: Making sure that the ways of voting and the voting papers are easy to use and understand. Being assured differently-abled people can vote secretly as other citizens can. During the vote, every Govt. can allow an assistant with each differently abled person to express their own choice or to elect easily. This study describes the Electoral Rights of physically and sensory disabled persons and related to this it examines the effectiveness of “The Right to Vote for All” in India. Numerous discrimination differently-abled people have witnessed as they are considered ‘inferior’ and ‘abnormal’ and received uneven treatment. Although the Disability Rights Movement in the 1970s said about equality, the differently abled still faces discrimination to take part in elections. In our country, the exclusion of differently-abled people from political participation takes place at all levels in different ways. The present investigation finds out the issues of differently abled person’s political participation and explores how to cope up with this for political and electoral inclusion.

Patients' and health care providers' perspectives of sexual and reproductive health services for people with disability: a scoping review protocol.

The objective of this review is to summarize the nature and focus of research that has been conducted into patients' and health care providers' perspectives of sexual and reproductive health access for people with disability. Article 25 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) requires people with disability to be provided with equitable access to sexual and reproductive health services. However, there are few scoping or systematic reviews examining the provision of inclusive sexual and reproductive health services to people with disability. Current and planned reviews are either not inclusive of a full range of disabilities or geographical regions, are limited to reproductive health, or focus exclusively on the perspectives of health professionals. Qualitative, quantitative, mixed method studies, and gray literature concerning sexual and reproductive health service access for people with disability will be included. The UNCRPD definition of disability will be adopted, together with a multidimensional conceptualization of "access." The review will be conducted in accordance with JBI methodology. A search strategy has been developed for MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, and gray literature. After de-duplication, results will be independently screened against the inclusion criteria by 2 reviewers. There will be no geographical limitations, but non-English-language publications will be excluded. Only literature published after the UNCRPD came into effect (May 3, 2008) will be included. Charting tools will be used for data extraction, and results will be presented in descriptive, diagrammatic, and tabular formats.

Disability prevalence: comparing four types of disability measures in the community

BackgroundThere is no general consensus on how to measure disability and disability prevalence rates. The results of previous estimates could not be compared due to the varied nature of the methodologies used and the lack of standardization in the measurement of disability. The primary objective of the study was to estimate the prevalence of disability using a population-based disability survey and questions selected by the National Center for Promotion of Employment for Disabled People (NCPEDP). The secondary objective is to determine whether there was any relationship between the severity of disability and essential sociodemographic factors.The survey was carried out in the Indian state of Gujarat’s Piplag village. Eight final-year physiotherapy students gathered sociodemographic data and answers to the four disability-related questions—disability question asked in India census 2011, Washington Group (WG)-suggested question, United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD)-based question, and National Sample Survey Organization (NSSO)-based question.ResultsA greater percentage of the population was classified as having a functional limitation in the questions based on the UNCRPD (28.29%) (95% CI 25.1–31.3%) and the WG (29.69%) (95% CI 26.0–34.4%). Our findings demonstrated that there were significant relationships between the questions in different questionnaires (p < 0.01). Female gender strongly influences how people self-identify as having a disability (by 5.7 to 12.07 times), and the predictor variables based on the Indian census 2011 questions explained 61.7% of the variation in prevalence of disability.ConclusionsThe prevalence statistics may vary based on the questions used to gather information about disabilities. As gender and socioeconomic status can impact the prevalence of disabilities, it is important to focus on ways to improve economic growth, especially for women.

Inkluzivno učenje i obrazovanje odraslih u Indiji i Nemačkoj - o intersekcionalnosti klase i kaste sa invaliditetom

This conceptual paper tackles the subject of inclusive adult learning and education , comparing the cases of India and Germany. Whereas the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) provides a policy framework for the overdue implementation of an 'inclusive education system and lifelong learning' (UNCRPD 2006, Art. 24), the global lack of comparable statistical data on adults with disabilities and the realities of being marginalised in, or even excluded from, the community of lifelong learners continue (e.g. UNESCO, 2019; WHO, 2007). The current comparative analysis follows landmark theoretical works on intersectionality (Crenshaw, 1989) and ableism (Campbell, 2009) and draws upon the categories of class (Candeias, 2021; Goldberg, 2018) for the German case and caste (Kothari et al., 2020; Yengde, 2022) for the Indian case and their intersectional impacts on disability and lifelong learning , discussing empowering and oppressive effects on adult learners.

Representation of disability in the media: A review of Kenyan newspaper reports of 2015-2016

Throughout history many societies have dealt poorly with disability. In Kenya, persons who have different types of disabling conditions have been excluded or isolated from mainstream society and denied opportunities due to a belief that they may be dangerous and not capable of participating in any meaningful activities. They are denied access to opportunities due to lack of knowledge and cultural beliefs. Even with Kenya having signed and ratified the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) and included these rights in the Constitution in 2010, many cases of injustices continue to pop up in the media. This study was a review of newspaper articles for the year 2015 and 2016 on representation of {dis}ability in two Kenyan newspapers - The Standard and the Daily Nation. In the study, existence of negative attitudes, violence, sexual harassment, limited financial support and weak policies were noted. Isolation from society leading to stigmatization was also noted to occur thus making it is hard for people living with a disability to learn daily living skills and integrate in society. Finally, implementation of policies that provide for access to opportunities by those with disabilities at County level of government continues to slow full implementation of policies on disability.

Reconsidering the ethics of compulsive treatment in light of clinical psychiatry:A selective review of literature.

The ethics of compulsive treatment (CT) is a medical, social and legal discussion that reemerged after the ratification by 181 countries of the 2007 United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UN-CRPD). The optional protocol of the UN-CRPD was ratified by 86 countries aiming to promote, protect and ensure the full and equal enjoyment of all human rights. It also determined the need to review mental health laws as under this light treatment of persons with disabilities, particularly those with mental disorders, cannot accept the use of CT. This selective review of literature aims to clarify inputs from clinical psychiatry adding evidence to the multi-disciplinarydiscussion. It provides contradictory evidence on how patients experience CT and its impact on their mental health and treatment programs, also which are main reasons for the use of CT and what efforts in psychiatry have been made to reduce, replace and refine it.

Activity and participation experiences of people with disabilities in Ethiopia.

BackgroundEthiopia, as a State Party to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD), has committed to upholding the rights of people with disabilities in Ethiopia. There is little evidence, however, reflecting the impact of this commitment on the lived experiences of people with disabilities in Ethiopia.ObjectivesThis study sought to uncover how the experiences of participation and activity shape the enactment of rights for Ethiopians with disabilities as enshrined in the UNCRPD.MethodAnalysis of 25 qualitative interviews with people with disabilities and family members living in Ethiopia used a reflexive thematic analysis approach to arrive at central themes.ResultsPeople with disabilities in Ethiopia experience marginalisation, distress and practical challenges in both routine daily activities and participation in broader social roles and opportunities. These experiences affect their ability to claim many of the rights afforded by the UNCRPD.ConclusionDespite legislative efforts to bring about change in Ethiopia, people with disabilities continue to live on the social margins. A meaningful change will require substantial allocation of needed resources by the Ethiopian government to support national-level programmes and policy change. It is critical that people with disabilities and their families are engaged in receiving relevant support, and serve as change leaders.ContributionThis study illustrates how marginalisation, distress and practical challenges in daily activities and social participation arise and are sustained for people with disabilities in Ethiopia. The findings can help to inform the country’s efforts to enact the rights of Ethiopians with disabilities as enshrined in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

Reconsidering the ethics of compulsive treatment in light of clinical psychiatry:A selective review of literature.

The ethics of compulsive treatment (CT) is a medical, social and legal discussion that reemerged after the ratification by 181 countries of the 2007 United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UN-CRPD). The optional protocol of the UN-CRPD was ratified by 86 countries aiming to promote, protect and ensure the full and equal enjoyment of all human rights. It also determined the need to review mental health laws as under this light treatment of persons with disabilities, particularly those with mental disorders, cannot accept the use of CT. This selective review of literature aims to clarify inputs from clinical psychiatry adding evidence to the multi-disciplinarydiscussion. It provides contradictory evidence on how patients experience CT and its impact on their mental health and treatment programs, also which are main reasons for the use of CT and what efforts in psychiatry have been made to reduce, replace and refine it.

Disability Inclusion and Accessibility in Zimbabwe

The viewpoint explores challenges and opportunities for Persons With Disabilities (PWDs) in accessing public institutions in line with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) in Zimbabwe. The study is based on the social model of disability, reinforced by the human rights perspective, which seek to meaningfully address issues bedevilling PWDs in their quest to be accorded the rightful place in the society, particularly in their access to public spaces. It further explains attitudinal, environmental and institutional barriers. Qualitative research method was used, coupled with a few key informant interviews. The target population for this study were first and foremost PWDs.  The study also targeted councillors, urban planners as well as administrators. Two subcategories of visually and physically impaired persons were carefully selected. The study findings indicated that attitudes and inadequate knowledge on disability by some community members and duty bearers also contribute to exclusion of Persons With Disabilities in public spaces. The study also found out that there are unfriendly facilities available. Additionally, the negative attitudes of stakeholders and administrative complications have deprived Persons With Disabilities from obtaining the benefits of available entitlements. Inadequate legislation, policy and lack of political will have also been established to be some of the factors leading to the side-lining of PWDs. The research recommends for creation of specific services in public spaces to support the needs of this group, integration of new technologies, and the domestication of the UNCRPD as well as the implementation of the disability policy, including best practices in disability inclusion, Specific policies should be supported by the allocation of funds and rigorous monitoring.&#x0D;  &#x0D; Read the full article in accessible html-format here.

Access to Sexual Health Services and Support for People with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities: an Australian Cross-sector Survey

IntroductionPeople with intellectual and developmental disabilities under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) have the right to access sexual health services including information, education, and support. Little is known about the capacity of sexual health professionals to provide these services.MethodsUsing an observational research design, this study utilised a descriptive survey tool (PASH–Ext) that also encompassed a standardised measure, with a cross-sectional purposive sample of 52 Australian sexual health professionals. Data was collected in 2020.ResultsJust over half of the participants reported having received training in their preservice education to work with people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, of these 60% held the view that people with intellectual and developmental disabilities would not feel embarrassed receiving sexual health information and support.ConclusionThe study found that training is both important to the professionals’ preparedness to work with people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, and that these professionals advocate for the continuation of this training in pre-service courses and additional training in post service education for sexual health workers.Policy ImplicationsTo progressively realise Article 25 of the UNCRPD signatory, countries need to ensure sexual health services are accessible to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. This study recommends that sexual health policy addresses equity of access for people with intellectual and developmental disability by ensuring all staff are prepared and supported to provide these services.

Access to Services from Persons with Disabilities in Afghanistan: Is Community Based Rehabilitation Making a Difference?

The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD), ratified in 2006, states that the achievement of equal rights, empowerment, and social inclusion of people with disabilities requires comprehensive rehabilitation services involving educational, social, economic, and medical interventions, all dimensions of the World Health Organization Community based rehabilitation (CBR) matrix. CBR programs aim at achieving those goals. In the present study, we investigated whether a large scale CBR program is improving access to multiple services (namely physical therapy, assistive technology, education, employment, advocacy, and community awareness) and providing satisfactions (by measuring the reduction in unmet needs) of Afghans with disabilities. We enrolled in the study 1861 newly recruited CBR participants with disabilities from 169 villages between July 2012 and December 2013, and 1132 controls screened with disabilities randomly selected with a two-stage process within 6000 households from 100 villages in the same provinces as the CBR but outside its catchment area. Using propensity score matching (PSM) and difference in difference analysis, we estimated the differences in accessing services. There were statistically significant differences between participants and controls on the access of available services between the baseline and endline. Using PSM we also found that needs were more often met among CBR participants compared to the controls. Our study indicates that a CBR program may be an effective way to provide services for persons with disabilities even in a conflict context such as Afghanistan. It contributes to addressing the longstanding question whether CBR can actually improve the rehabilitation of persons with disabilities.

Let us move beyond word battles and separatism: strategies and concerns regarding universal design in Sweden

PurposeUniversal design (UD) is defined in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) and adopted in Sweden as a guiding principle for the design of new products, facilities, services, etc. This study aims to contribute to knowledge about UD in practice – how it is conceived, experienced and discussed in Sweden, especially regarding education, working life and housing.Design/methodology/approachA group interview and a workshop (immersion into personas and scenarios) with 14 practitioners of inclusion and accessibility from academia, civil society, business and the public sector were analyzed with qualitative content analysis.FindingsThe participating practitioners related UD to a cluster of terms for inclusion and wanted to communicate the reason for UD rather than battling about words. Flexibility was considered openness to the diversity of human conditions and situations combined with individualization capacity including assistance. Short-term demands for access and compliance to minimum standards must be balanced with long-term learning processes. Evaluation, relation-building and dialogs must update and contextualize UD, for example, in relation to categorization.Originality/valueThis study yields an in-depth picture of how the practice of UD is conceived, experienced and discussed among Swedish practitioners of inclusion and accessibility. It elucidates dissonances between experiences and ideals, standardized and flexible design, and the interests of users and institutions. It enhances knowledge of the dilemmas in inclusive and diversity-based practices, as well as the implementation and promotion of UD.

Exercising autonomy—The effectiveness and meaningfulness of autonomy support interventions engaged by adults with intellectual disability. A mixed‐methods review

AbstractBackgroundThe United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) recommend all disabled people receive support to develop their autonomy. Subsequently, evolving models for supported decision‐making and informed consent present guidance to enable autonomy support, which have relevance to people with intellectual disabilities. To date, reviews have explored how adults with intellectual disabilities exercise their autonomy or factors impacting the development of their self‐determination. This review aimed to establish the effectiveness of ‘autonomy support interventions’ engaged by adults with intellectual disability and the meaning of these interventions to this cohort.MethodsA systematic search of Cinahl Complete, PsychINFO and Scopus databases was undertaken. The search was limited to studies published between 2000 and 2020. Identified citations were uploaded to EndNote X9, duplicates removed, search outputs imported into Covidence and titles and abstracts screened. Data were extracted using an amended JBI data extraction Tool. The search strategy is reported in the adapted PRISMA flow diagram.FindingsTwelve studies were included in the mixed methods review. Critical appraisal was undertaken using the Crowe Critical Appraisal Tool. These findings identified varied and creative autonomy support interventions utilised across ordinary activities with adults with intellectual disabilities.ConclusionThis review identifies the essential components of how autonomy support interventions can enhance ordinary experiences for adults with intellectual disabilities while enabling them to develop skill sets to be more self‐directed in the choices they make.

"We'll starve to death": The consequences of COVID-19 over the lives of poor people with disabilities in rural Nepal.

There is no doubt that the sudden outbreak of COVID‐19 negatively impacted billions of people worldwide, and among them, people with disabilities became most susceptible. However, little is known about the impact of COVID‐19 on the lives of people with disabilities in Nepal. Using empirical data from semi‐structured in‐depth interviews with people with disabilities, disability specialist, and community leaders, this study discusses the lived experiences of people with disabilities who have been affected by COVID‐19 in Nepal. This study revealed that the outbreak of COVID‐19 impacted people with disabilities by worsening their vulnerability. In particular, the majority of people with disabilities became further isolated, were disconnected from existing services such as access to information, education, and health care and many lost their income opportunities. Findings from this study further show that this pandemic affected the rights of people with disabilities guided by the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD). Immediate financial and non‐financial support for people with disabilities from government and other stakeholders, such as non‐governmental organizations (NGOs), is needed, indicating the need for policymakers to reassess policies to ensure that they adequately protect the rights of people with disabilities.

Reconsidering the ethics of compulsive treatment under the light of clinical psychiatry.

The ethics of compulsive treatment (CT) is a medical, social and legal discussion that reemerged after the ratification by 181 countries of the 2007 United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UN-CRPD). The optional protocol of the UN-CRPD was ratified by 86 countries aiming to promote, protect and ensure the full and equal enjoyment of all human rights. It also determined the need to review mental health laws as under this light treatment of persons with disabilities, particularly those with mental disorders, cannot accept the use of CT. This selective review of literature aims to clarify inputs from clinical psychiatry adding evidence to the multi-disciplinarydiscussion. It focuses on how patients experience CT and its impact on their mental health and treatment programs, the reasons for the use of CT versus voluntary treatment and what efforts have been made to reduce, replace and refine the presence of CT in psychiatry.