Information on Disability at International Level

The list below aims to facilitate information on disability related issues, so that organizations, governments and individuals have access to tools that can promote inclusion in their countries.

Although our main concern is helping developing countries to be more inclusive of persons with disability, we chose to provide information in English  because it is a more widely spoken language. In any case, you can use the box on the upper right side of the page to choose in which language you would like to access the information.

Patricia Almeida – Editor

Today, one billion people globally live with some form of disability, and disability prevalence is higher for developing countries. The social exclusion of persons with disabilities is unacceptable in the face of economic and social progress witnessed around the globe.

Maninder S. Gill
Director, Social, Urban, Rural, and Resilience Global Practice, The World Bank (3/12/2014)

Disability and the UN

New York

Mandate:

Last week, during the fifty-third session of the Commission for Social Development, I presented the areas of interest and priority issues of my mandate in relation to disability and development: post-2015 development agenda; social protection; data collection and statistics; and situations of risk and humanitarian emergencies.

Concluding its fifty-third session, the Commission for Social Development approved by consensus a draft resolution on promoting the rights of persons with disabilities (document E/CN.5/2015/L.5): http://goo.gl/x1cIjd

Sendai WCDRR will be disability-inclusive

http://www.unisdr.org/archive/40491

Let’s communicate: a handbook for people working with children with communication difficulties (1997)
http://www.who.int/disabilities/publications/care/en/

Guidelines for training personnel in developing countries for prosthetic and orthotic services (2005)
http://whqlibdoc.who.int/publications/2005/9241592672.pdf?ua=1

Guidelines on the provision of manual wheelchairs in less-resourced settings – 2008
http://www.who.int/disabilities/publications/technology/wheelchairguidelines/en/

Wheelchair Service Training Package – Basic level – 2012
http://www.who.int/disabilities/technology/wheelchairpackage/en/

Guidelines on community-based rehabilitation (CBR) – 2010
http://www.who.int/disabilities/cbr/guidelines/en/

Disability and emergency risk management for health guidance Note – 2013
http://www.who.int/hac/techguidance/preparedness/disability/en/

Eliminating forced, coercive and otherwise involuntary sterilization Statement – 2014
http://www.who.int/reproductivehealth/publications/gender_rights/eliminating-forced-sterilization/en/

UN Awareness 

http://outreach.un.org/mop/

International Days
International Day of Persons with Disabilities (3/12)

http://www.un.org/disabilities/default.asp?id=111
World Down Syndrome Day (21/3)

http://www.un.org/en/events/downsyndromeday/
World Autism Awareness Day – (2/4)

http://www.un.org/en/events/autismday/

Thematic

International Day for Disaster Reduction – 2013 (13/10)
Living with Disabilities and Disasters

http://www.unisdr.org/2013/iddr/#.VL_HZyyoOmc

World Telecommunication and Information Society Day – 2008 (17/5)
Connecting Persons with Disabilities – ICT Opportunities for All

http://www.itu.int/en/wtisd/2015/Pages/default.aspx

International Day of Families – 2007 (15/5)
Families with Disabilities

http://undesadspd.org/Family/InternationalObservances/InternationalDayofFamilies/2007.aspx

Trust Fund

UN Partnership to promote the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Multi-Donor Trust Fund (UNPRPD MDTF)

http://mptf.undp.org/factsheet/fund/RPD00

UN NEWS

ACTION

CALLS

Data on disability

Global Disability Rights Library

http://www.widernet.org/egranary/gdrl

Grants, Prizes and Awards

UK

National Learning Disabilities Award

http://www.nationalldawards.co.uk/

Two Ticks Positive about disability – Awarded by Jobcentre Plus to employers who have made commitments to employ, keep and develop the abilities of disabled staff.

http://www.pluss.org.uk/2-ticks-positive-about-disability-symbol

Stelios Award for disabled entrepreneurs

http://www.leonardcheshire.org/what-we-do/stelios-award-disabled-entrepreneurs/about-award#.VKbZM6bRkmU

US

Distinguished Contributions to the Advancement of Disability Issues in Psychology Award

Barrier-Free America Award by Paralyzed Veterans of America

http://www.pva.org/site/c.ajIRK9NJLcJ2E/b.6305457/k.49C6/BarrierFree_America_Award.htm

Paul G. Hearne Award for Disability Rights by the American Bar Association

http://www.americanbar.org/groups/disabilityrights/initiatives_awards/the_paul_g_hearne_award_for_disability_rights.html

InterAction Disability Inclusion Award

http://www.interaction.org/disability-inclusion-award

Georgia Disability Sports Award by Blazesports

http://www.blazesports.org/getinvolved/2014-georgia-disability-sports-awards/

News on disability (Possible Partners)

International Organizations

Organizations that are part of IDA

IDA’s Position papers and Statements

CRPD in general:

• In 2008, IDA produced a position paper which sets out, among others, the superseding nature of the CRPD.
• September 2008: IDA prepared a very detailed contribution to the OHCHR thematic study on legal measures for the implementation of the CRPD.
• September 2009: IDA presented a number of concrete proposals at the second Conference of States Parties to the CRPD, including the creation of an UN Fund to promote the CRPD.

Understanding The UN Convention On The Rights Of Persons With Disabilities: a Handbook on the Human Rights of Persons with disabilities, September 2009. (Author: Marianne Schulze. Edited by: Handicap International).

National implementation and monitoring of the CRPD (Article 33):

• September 2009: IDA submitted a contribution to the OHCHR on national implementation and monitoring of the CRPD with special attention to article 33 of the CRPD.
• Human Rights Council 13th Session (March 2010): IDA made a statement on national implementation and monitoring frameworks of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. English and Spanish.

Non Discrimination:

IDA Statement on Non Discrimination (January 2013)

Article 12 on Legal Capacity:

• In 2008, the Legal Capacity Task Force undertook an innovative effort to recognize the aspirations of people with disabilities in decision making. To learn more about the IDA’s work in implementing Article 12 on Legal Capacity, please download the Principles of Implementation.
• Legal opinion on Article 12 signed by more than 30 distinguished international legal experts.
• IDA has submitted in June 2010 a document on the functional capacity to the CRPD Committee: English / Spanish.

Mental Health:

• IDA, in co-operation with some of its member organisations, has submitted a document in October 2009 on recommendations for monitoring of psychiatric institutions.
• October 2010: WNUSP-IDA paper in response to the document recently released by the WHO: Mental health and development: targeting people with mental health conditions as a vulnerable group.
• For the thematic discussion held by the Sub-Committee for the Prevention of Torture (February 2012) on mental health and places of deprivation of liberty, a paper was prepared by the World Network of Users and Survivors of Psychiatry and endorsed by IDA.

International Cooperation:

• November 2009: IDA contributed to the consultation undertaken by the OHCHR following Human Rights Council Resolution 10/6 on Enhancement of international cooperation in the field of human rights. IDA contribution.
• October 2010: IDA submitted a contribution to the OHCHR thematic study on article 32 of the CRPD, International Cooperation.

United Nations Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF):

• IDA Factsheet on Influencing CCA/UNDAF processes

Education:

• Human Rights Council 17th Session (June 2011): IDA made a statement on education.
• July 2011: IDA elaborated a position paper on education as part of efforts to ensure inclusion persons with disabilities in the Annual Ministerial Review of ECOSOC focused on education, 4-8 July 2011.
• Contribution to 2013 OHCHR thematic study on the right of persons with disabilities to education. IDA Contribution_2013

Implementing Inclusive Education (A Commomwealth Guide to Implementing Article 24 of the CRPD, second edition) by Richard Rieser. Inclusive Education_PDF or Inclusive Education_Word

Work and Employment:

• September 2012: IDA´s contribution to the consultation undertaken by OHCHR, following Human Rights Council Resolution 19/11, on the work and employment of persons with disabilities.

Participation in Political and Public Life:

• October 2011: IDA submitted a contribution to the OHCHR thematic study on article 29 of the CRPD, participation of persons with disabilities in political and public life.

Women and Girls with Disabilities:

• Human Rights Council 18th Session (Sept 2011): IDA made a statement on the rights of older women.
• IDA submission for the CEDAW Committee´s General Discussion on women in armed conflict and post-conflict situations (July 2011).
• IDA submission for the half day of general discussion of the CRPD Committee on women and girls with disabilities (April 2013)
• IDA submission on indigenous women and girls with disabilities (April 2013)

Standard Interpretation of the CRPD from a female perspective (Prepared by Dr. Sigrid Arnade and Sabine Haefner).
Women With Disabilities Australia (WWDA), July 2011 Policy Paper: ‘Assessing the situation of women with disabilities in Australia: A human rights approach’.

Violence Against Women with Disabilities:

• Human Rights Council 14th Session (June 2010): IDA made a statement on violence against women: IDA written statement (English); and IDA oral statement (English or Spanish).
• Human Rights Council 17th Session (June 2011): IDA made a statement on violence against women/freedom of expression.

INWWD: Document on Violence against Women with Disabilities: English, French, Spanish, Albanian and Chinese

Children with Disabilities:

• Human Rights Council 13rd Session (March 2010). IDA made an oral statement on the institutionalization of children: a root cause of violence against children.
• IDA Submission on the right of the child to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health.
• IDA Submission on Child Rights and Business.
• IDA submission to the CRC Committee’s DGD on the rights of all children in the context of international migration.

Liberty and Security:

• Joint WNUSP, II, DSI & IDA submission to the Human RIghts Committee for their half DGD on the right to liberty and security.

Access to Justice:

• IDA submission to the CEDAW Committee’s General Discussion on access to justice, 54h session, February 2013

Right to Sexual and Reproductive Health:

• Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (CESCR): Day of General Discussion 2010: IDA Submission on the right to sexual and reproductive health.

Harmful Practices:

• In response to a call out for papers by the CRC and CEDAW Committees which are elaborating a General Comment/Recommendation on harmful practices, IDA made a submission highlighting the harmful practices targeted at persons with disabilities, and in particular women and girls with disabilities. IDA Submission on harmful practices.
• IDA participated in formulating a briefing paper which was jointly presented by Women With Disabilities Australia (WWDA), Human rights Watch (HRW), the Open Society Foundations as part of the Global Campaign to Stop Torture in Health Care. The paper gives a background to the issue of forced sterilisation, outlines various international human rights standards that prohibit forced sterilisation, and offers several recommendations for improving laws, policies, and professional guidelines governing sterilisation practices. Sterilisation Disability Briefing Paper.

Amicus Curiae briefs to the European Court of Human Rights:

• HP v Denmark: On 20 January 2014, together with the European Disability Forum, IDA submitted joint written comments to the European Court of Human Rights in the case of HP v Denmark (Application no 55607/09).  This case concerns a victim of torture from Iran who was granted refugee status in Denmark where he has been living for over twenty years.  Due to the effects of being tortured, he has memory loss and difficulties in communicating and applied for an exemption regarding language requirements to obtain Danish nationality.  While the regulations governing naturalisation permitted the granting of an exemption for the language requirement “where the person in question… proved unable to learn Danish to a sufficient degree due to mental disorder, for example as a result of torture”, the Applicant’s exemption request was refused.  As a result of the refusal, he was denied citizenship and complains that his continued statelessness breaches his right to private life and constitutes disability based discrimination in violation of Articles 8 and 14 of the European Convention of Human Rights. HP v Denmark joint written comments
• Guberina v Croatia: On 20 December 2013, together with the European Disability Forum and the Croatian Union of Associations of Persons with Disabilities, IDA submitted joint written comments to the European Court of Human Rights in the case of Guberina v Croatia (Application no 23682/13).  This case concerns a family with a child with multiple disabilities which bought a house owing to the inaccessibility of their former fiat (no lift) and the increasing difficulty in transporting their growing child. The law foresaw tax exemptions for buying property which met “hygiene and technical housing needs” but did not take into account accessibility needs related to persons with disabilities. Applying the letter of the law, the Croatian authorities refused to grant tax exemptions and subsequently dismissed the applicant’s appeals without addressing the issue of the child’s disability and related housing needs.  The Applicant claimed violations of Article 1 of Protocol no 1 (right to property) as well as Article 1 of Protocol no 12 (general non-discrimination clause) of the European Convention on Human Rights. Guberina v Croatia joint written comments
• Stankov v Bulgaria: On March 2013, together with the European Disability Forum, European Network of (ex-) Users and Survivors of Psychiatry and the World Network of Users and Survivors of Psychiatry, IDA submitted joint written comments to the European Court of Human Rights in the case of Stankov v Bulgaria (Application no 25820/07) brought by a man with psychosocial disabilities who was deprived of his legal capacity, forcibly placed in successive social care institutions and subjected to ill-treatment on account of the poor living conditions and physical violence. The rights invoked are freedom from torture & ill treatment, right to liberty, access to justice, right to private life, and right to an effective remedy. Stankov v Bulgaria joint written comments
• Koroviny v Russia: On March 2013, together with the European Disability Forum, European Network of (ex-) Users and Survivors of Psychiatry and the World Network of Users and Survivors of Psychiatry, IDA submitted joint written comments to the European Court of Human Rights in the case of Koroviny v Russia (Application no 31974/11) brought by a man who was arrested for a crime and detained for compulsory psychiatric treatment, the order for which was renewed on several occasions by a court following the finding that the applicant could not be held criminally responsible as it was deemed he was “mentally incapacitated”. He complains of the unlawfulness of his detention, ill-treatment including by being subjected to restraints, unfair trial, and violation of his right to private life covering censorship of his correspondence. Koroviny v Russia joint written comments
• Semikhvostov v Russia: On 31 January 2013, together with the European Disability Forum, IDA submitted joint written comments to the European Court of Human Rights in the case of Semikhvostov v Russia (Application no 2689/12) brought by a wheel chair user prisoner who was subjected to inhuman and degrading treatment due to conditions in prison and the denial of reasonable accommodation, claiming violations of Article 3 of the European Convention on Human Rights. Semikhvostov v Russia joint written comments.
  On 6 February 2014, the judgment in Semikhvostov v Russia (Application no 2689/12) was rendered public in which the Court concluded a violation of Article 3 on account of the inhuman and degrading conditions of the applicant’s detention, as well as a violation of Article 13 of the Convention due to the absence of an effective domestic remedy with which to raise claims of inadequate conditions of detention.  In coming to this judgment, the Court referred to EDF & IDA’s amicus brief (a summary of which it cited over two pages of the judgment), and highlighted the failure to provide reasonable accommodation to the applicant as a central issue resulting in inhuman and degrading conditions.
  This builds on the Court’s caselaw, notably:
  – ZH v Hungary (November 2012) in which the failure of the State to take “reasonable steps” to address the applicant’s condition (in this case, obtaining appropriate assistance for the applicant’s communication needs), resulted in a violation of his right to liberty.
  – DG v Poland (February 2013) in which EDF & IDA, together with the Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights, had submitted a third party intervention which resulted in the first of the Court’s judgments which referred to the need for efforts to “reasonably accommodate” the special needs of the applicant which reached the threshold of severity and constituted degrading and inhuman treatment contrary to Article 3 of the ECHR.
  In the present judgment, the Court appropriates the term and concept of reasonable accommodation as a central element to its finding of inhuman and degrading treatment:
  – Semikhvostov v Russia (February 2014): “The Court cannot but conclude that the restrictions on the applicant’s personal mobility in the facility and lack of reasonable accommodation during his three-year long detention must have had a dehumanising effect. The domestic authorities failed to treat the applicant in a safe and appropriate manner consistent with his disability.”
  It is significant that the European Court of Human Rights has taken up reasonable accommodation in its jurisprudence, and it represents a step toward increased CRPD recognition and compliance.  While there remain issues of conflict and contention between the European Convention and the Court’s case law and the CRPD, it is a positive sign that the Court is adopting this key concept which helps pave the way to raise the obligation to provide reasonable accommodation in other contexts given its far reaching applicability across all rights.
  European Court of Human Rights judgment in Semikhvostov v Russia (Application no 2689/12)
  Extracts of the judgment in related to the third party intervention
• DG v Poland: On 2 July 2012, together with the European Disability Forum and the Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights, IDA submitted joint written comments to the European Court of Human Rights in the case of DG v Poland (Application no 45705/07) brought by a wheel chair user prisoner who, in the course of carrying out his sentence, was subjected to ill-treatment in prison due to the lack of provision of reasonable accommodation. DG v Poland joint written comments.
• Mihailovs v Latvia: On 13 February 2012, together with the World Network of Users and Survivors of Psychiatry, the European Disability Forum and the European Network of (ex-) Users and Survivors of Psychiatry, IDA submitted joint written comments to the European Court of Human Rights in the case of Mihailovs v Latvia (Aplication no 35939/10) brought by a man with a psychosocial disability who was placed under guardanship and forcibly institutionalised and subjected to forced treatment and arbitrary detention for more than ten years. Written comments.
• Gauer and Others v France: On 16 August 2011, together with the European Disability Forum, the Centre for Reproductive Rights, Interights and the Mental Disability Alliance, IDA submitted joint written comments to the European Court of Human Rights in the case of Gauer and Others v France (Application no 61521/08) brought by five women with intellectual disabilities who were forcibly sterilised upon the decision of their guardian. Gauer and Others v France joint written comments. The European Group of National Human Rights Institutions also submitted comments to the Court, they can be read here.

Millennium Development Goals (MDGs):

• IDA position paper on the MDGs: English

Social Protection:

• IDA position paper on the Social Protection Floor Recommendation

Human Rights Education and Training:

• In September 2009, IDA contributed to the consultation process on the draft declaration on human rights education and training. IDA contribution.
• Human Rights Council 16th Session (March 2011): IDA made a statement on human rights education and training.

The Right to Drinking Water and Sanitation:

• Human Rights Council 15th Session (Sept 2010): IDA made a statement on safe drinking water and sanitation.
• Human Rights Council 18th Session (Sept 2011): IDA made a statement on the right to water and sanitation.

Maternal Mortality:

• In November 2009, IDA contributed to the OHCHR consultation on maternal mortality. Document.

Leprosy:

• In November 2009, IDA contributed to the consultation following Human Rights Council Resolution 12/7 on Elimination of discrimination against persons affected by leprosy and their family members. Document.

The Right to Adequate Housing:

• Human Rights Council 16th Session (March 2011): IDA made a statement on the right to adequate housing.

Poverty:

• Human Rights Council 17th Session (June 2011): IDA made a statement on poverty.

Older Persons:

• Human Rights Council 18th Session (Sept 2011): IDA made a statement on the right to health of older persons.

Universal Periodic Review:

• Human Rights Council 16th Session (March 2011): IDA made a statement on the Universal Periodic Review.

Haiti:

• Human Rights Council 14th Session (June 2010): IDA made a statement on Haiti.

Accessibility:

• March 2012, Final IDA submission to CRPD Committee’​s call for papers on Article 9 of the CRPD (Accessibility). IDA submission
• October 2010, IDA submitted a contribution to the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Day of General Discussion on “Accessibility”.
• World Blind Union: Guidelines to powerpoint presentations. Document.

Documents produced by IDA on UN Treaty Bodies:

• Guidance document on parallel reporting:

English Word* or PDF
Spanish Word* or PDF
French Word* or PDF
Arabic Word*

• IDA Facsheet on the List of Issues (Document produced by IDA on how to contribute to the list of issues of the UN Treaty Bodies). (English or Spanish)
• IDA Factsheet on the Optional Protocol to the CRPD (Document produced by IDA on how to lodge a communication to the Committee under the Optional Protocol)

World Institute on Disability

http://www.wid.org/

International Program

WID’s International Program builds leadership and capacity in disabled persons organizations (DPOs) in post conflict and developing countries to promote the full inclusion of people with disabilities into all aspects of society.

http://wid.org/international

National Organizations

Global Alliance on Accessible Technologies and Environments –  http://gaates.org/

Global Initiative for Inclusive ICTs – http://g3ict.org/about

Web accessibility

http://webaccess.berkeley.edu/resources/tips/web-accessibility