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COVID-19 Disability Rights Monitor

2020

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Evidence is emerging that persons with disabilities are being disproportionately affected by the Coronavirus pandemic and emergency measures being taken by governments worldwide. As governments rush to respond to the virus, it is more critical than ever to guarantee that measures taken are fully inclusive of persons with disabilities and prevent human rights violations from taking place.

 

With the endorsements of the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Right to Health, Mr Dainius Pūras, and the UN Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, Ms Catalina Devandas Aguilar, a coalition of six disability rights organisations is today launching a major international monitoring initiative entitled “COVID-19 Disability Rights Monitor” to conduct rapid independent monitoring of state measures concerning persons with disabilities. The first element of this global initiative is the launch of two surveys requesting official information from governments and requesting the testimonies of persons with disabilities and their representative organisations. The surveys aim to collect information about what states are doing to protect core rights of persons with disabilities including the rights to life, access to health and essential services.

United Nations Disability Inclusion strategy

UNITED NATIONS
June 2019

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The United Nations Disability Inclusion Strategy provides the foundation for sustainable and transformative progress on disability inclusion through all pillars of the work of the United Nations: peace and security, human rights, and development.
 
The Strategy enables the UN system to support the implementation of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and other international human rights instruments, as well as the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals, the Agenda for Humanity and the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction.

The Strategy includes a policy and an accountability framework, with benchmarks to assess progress and accelerate change on disability inclusion. The policy establishes a vision and commitment for the United Nations system on the inclusion of persons with disabilities.

 

The strategy is based on three over-arching approaches to achieve disability inclusion: twin track approach; intersectionality; and coordination

There are four core areas of responsibility: leadership, strategic planning and management; inclusiveness; programming; and organisational culture

WHO consolidated guideline on self-care interventions for health: sexual and reproductive health and rights

WORLD HEALTH ORGANISATION (WHO)
2019

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SELF-CARE is the ability of individuals, families and communities to promote health, prevent disease, maintain health, and to cope with illness and disability with or without the support of a health-care provider. 

The purpose of this guidance is to develop a peoplecentred, evidence-based normative guideline that will support individuals, communities and countries with quality health services and self-care interventions, based on PHC (Primary Health Care) strategies, comprehensive essential service packages and people-centredness. The specific objectives of this guideline are to provide:

• evidence-based recommendations on key public health self-care interventions, including for advancing sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), with a focus on vulnerable populations and settings with limited capacity and resources in the health system

• good practice statements on key programmatic, operational and service-delivery issues that need to be addressed to promote and increase safe and equitable access, uptake and use of self-care interventions, including for advancing SRHR.

Working with persons with disabilities in forced displacement

UN HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR REFUGEES (UNHCR)
2019

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This note has been updated from its 2011 release and provides UNHCR and partners with specific guidance on meeting the protection needs of a diversity of persons with disabilities. While the document refers mainly to refugees, it applies to all of UNHCR’s persons of concern, including refugees, asylum seekers, internally displaced persons, returnees, and stateless persons.

This note provides guidance on: who persons with disabilities are; key principles (rights based approach, inclusion, participation and non-discrimination) and cross-cutting actions. 

Young persons with disabilities: Global study on ending gender-based violence, and realising sexual and reproductive health and rights

McCLOSKEY, Megan
MEYERS, Stephen
July 2018

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This study provides an analysis on the situation of young persons with disabilities concerning discrimination and gender-based violence, including the impact on their sexual and reproductive health and rights. It also provides an assessment of legal, policy and programming developments and specific good practices in service delivery as well as best-standard prevention and protection measures. Finally, policy and programming recommendations are provided to assist in greater promotion of the rights of young persons with disabilities, with a particular emphasis on preventing and responding to gender-based violence, and realizing sexual and reproductive health and rights.

Report of the Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities (theme: access to rights-based support for persons with disabilities)

DEVANDAS, Catalina
December 2016

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In her report, the Special Rapporteur provides an overview of the activities undertaken in 2016, as well as a thematic study on access to support by persons with disabilities. The study includes guidance for States on how to ensure the provision of different forms of rights-based support and assistance for persons with disabilities, in consultation with them. In preparing the study, the Special Rapporteur convened a regional expert consultation in Addis Ababa in September 2016 and analysed the responses to a questionnaire sent to Member States, national human rights institutions, agencies of the United Nations system, civil society organisations and persons with disabilities and their representative organisations. As at 5 December 2016, she had received 114 responses. 

Key findings

FOUNDATION CENTER
INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS FUNDERS GROUP
2015

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A webpage from the Foundation Center, which gives hyperlinked access to the funding profiles of various international causes such as disability, access to justice, and gender equality. In addition there are links to the annual Key Findings on Global Foundation Grantmaking reports published by the Center 

No justice : torture, trafficking and segregation in Mexico

RODRIGUEZ, Priscila
ROSENTHAL, Eric
GUERRERO, Humberto
July 2015

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This report presents the findings of Disability Rights International (DRI)'s two-year investigation into the treatment of children and adults with mental disabilities in Mexico City which found a pattern of egregious and widespread human rights violations. The investigation found that in Mexico City having a disability can mean a life of detention and uncovered the existence of a “blacklist” of particularly abusive institutions that the Mexico City authorities are aware of – yet they permit these facilities to operate. DRI visited five of 25 facilities on the blacklist and specifically highlight the findings from Mama Rosa and Casa Esperanza, which was so abusive that DRI filed a formal complaint to DIF and sought immediate action by DIF to protect detainees. The report outlines the overall findings and how Mexico can take steps toward reform and justice calling for immediate steps to enforce the basic human rights of people with disabilities and outlines

Note: the report is available in pdf and word versions in both English and Spanish

Abuse and denial of sexual and reproductive rights of women with psychosocial disabilities in Mexico

RODRIGUEZ, Priscila
et al
February 2015

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This report presents the situation faced by women with psycho-social conditions in Mexico based on the results of a year-long study. This research included the application of a questionnaire to fifty-one women with psychosocial disabilities who were either members of the Colectivo Chuhcan or received outpatient services at four different health clinics and psychiatric institutions in Mexico City. The main finding of this report is that the Mexican government has failed to implement policies that ensure that women with psychosocial disabilities have safe access to sexual and reproductive health services, on an equal basis with others. It is recommended this research be extended to the rest of the country to gain a clearer picture on the situation of the sexual and reproductive rights of women with disabilities at a national level

Independent but not alone : global report on the right to decide

INCLUSION INTERNATIONAL
June 2014

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This report presents the perspective of people with intellectual disabilities and their families on the right to decide, in line with Article 12 of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD). Over the past two years, over 600 self-advocates, family members, disability advocates, and professionals participated in discussions motivated by Inclusion International’s Global Campaign on the Right to Decide. Additionally, Inclusion International heard from over 80 organisations from more than 40 countries. The report presents a series of recommendations and conclusions in order to advance the right to decide

Thematic study on the work and employment of persons with disabilities : report of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights

OFFICE OF THE UNITED NATIONS HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR HUMAN RIGHTS (OHCHR)
December 2012

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"The present study focuses on the work and employment of persons with disabilities. It analyses relevant provisions of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, highlights good practices in promoting employment opportunities for persons with disabilities, and identifies the main challenges that States parties encounter in ensuring that persons with disabilities enjoy access to, retention of and advancement in employment on an equal basis with others"
A/HRC/22/25
Note: Easy read version is available in English in both pdf and word formats

CBR guidelines as a tool for community-based inclusive development

INTERNATIONAL DISABILITY AND DEVELOPMENT CONSORTIUM (IDDC)
Ed
2012

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This document presents the CBR Guidelines as a tool for community-based inclusive development. It provides an introduction to CBR, community based inclusive development, and the CBR guidelines. It then highlights partnerships between stakeholders in CBR and the CBR guidelines as a framework for monitoring and evaluation using an example from Cambodia

Support to organisations representative of persons with disabilities

GEISER, Priscille
ZIEGLER, Stefanie
ZURMÜHL, Ute
July 2011

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This policy paper is based on the practice and experience acquired by Handicap International (HI) in working with and supporting organisations representative of people with disabilities. The paper first outlines the development of DPOs and their particular roles and responsibilities with regards to the goal of improving the situation of persons with disabilities. It then discusses the importance of supporting DPOs specifically regarding HI’s engagement, presents key components of projects, and highlights links with HI’s institutional framework documents. This paper is useful for anyone interested in support to organisations representative of persons with disabilities

Capturing change in women’s realities : a critical overview of current monitoring and evaluation frameworks and approaches

BATLIWALA, Srilatha
PITTMAN, Alexandra
December 2010

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"This document provides a critique of current M[onitoring] &E[valuation] frameworks and approaches as experienced by women’s organizations and movements worldwide along with an analysis of a large number of M&E frameworks and tools. Part I of this document provides a broad overview of common challenges with monitoring and evaluation (M&E) and identifies feminist practices for engaging in M&E to strengthen organizational learning and more readily capture the complex changes that women’s empowerment and gender equality work seek. Part II offers an analysis of a large number of M&E frameworks and tools, along with some of their strengths and weaknesses in assessing women’s rights and gender equality processes and impacts"

Guidance document : effective use of international human rights monitoring mechanisms to protect the rights of persons with disabilities

THEYTAZ-BERGMAN, Laura
TROMEL, Stefan
May 2010

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This guidance document provides practical strategies and advice to disabled people's organisations (DPOs) and DPO coalitions on the international human rights mechanisms. It provides details on the reporting process of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD), raises awareness on the need to establish national DPO coalitions, and offers assistance for DPOs on producing effective reports for submission to the UNCRPD Committee. It also provides guidance on the monitoring process and includes information on the use of other human rights mechanisms. This document would be useful to global, regional and national DPOs engaging in the UNCRPD reporting process

Community-based rehabilitation : CBR guidelines

WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION (WHO)
et al
2010

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These guidelines provide an overview of key CBR concepts, indentify goals and outcomes that CBR programmes should be working towards, and provide suggested activities to achieve these goals. The guidelines are presented in seven separate booklets: Introductory booklet, Health component, Education component, Livelihood component, Social component, Empowerment component and Supplementary booklet. This resource is useful for people interested in inclusive community-based development for people with disabilities
Note: Links are provided to the CBR Matrix and MP3 audio files

Community-based rehabilitation : CBR guidelines|Health component

WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION (WHO)
et al
2010

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This component of the CBR Guidelines focuses on health and how to make it inclusive. It describes "the role of CBR is to work closely with the health sector to ensure that the needs of people with disabilities and their family members are addressed in the areas of health promotion, prevention, medical care, rehabilitation and assistive devices. CBR also needs to work with individuals and their families to facilitate their access to health services and to work with other sectors to ensure that all aspects of health are addressed"
It outlines key concepts and then presents the core concepts, examples and areas of suggested activities in each of the following five elements: Health promotion; Prevention; Medical care; Rehabilitation; and Assistive devices. This guideline is useful for anyone interested in health component of CBR

Monitoring the human rights of people with disabilities | Country report : Bolivia

CONFEDERACION BOLIVIANA DE LA PERSONA CON DISCAPACIDAD (COBOPDI)
DISABILITY RIGHTS PROMOTION INTERNATIONAL (DRPI)
March 2009

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This report highlights monitoring to assess the rights status of people with disabilities in Bolivia at the individual and systemic levels and makes recommendations for positive change. People with disabilities in Bolivia participated fully in all aspects of the project as the coordinators, monitors, data analysts and authors of the final report, as part of a project led by the Confederacion Boliviana de la Persona con Discapacidad (COBOPDI), with technical support from DRPI. The full report is available in both Spanish and English downloadable PDF versions. It is useful for people with an interest in both human rights monitoring and disability and development issues

Convention on the rights of persons with disabilities : its implementation and relevance for the World Bank

GUERNSEY, Katherine
NICOLI, Marco
NINIO, Alberto
June 2007

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This paper is a World Bank organisational learning tool designed to provide a review and commentary on the relevance of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. The purpose is to assist World Bank staff with supporting implementation activities. The articles that make up this document aim to operationalize World Bank protocols, legal obligations and benchmark specific principles. This practical resource would be useful for those working in the field of disability and development, in particular those working towards legislative reform

IASC guidelines for mental health and psychosocial support in emergency settings

INTER-AGENCY STANDING COMMITTEE (IASC)
2007

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These guidelines provide information to organisations and individuals on how to respond during humanitarian emergencies by highlighting eleven specific action sheets that offer practical guidance on mental health and psychosocial support. The guidelines include a matrix of interventions with guidance for emergency planning, actions to be taken in the early stages of an emergency, and comprehensive responses needed in the recovery and rehabilitation phases. This resource is gives humanitarian actors useful inter-agency, inter-sectoral guidance and tools for responding effectively in the midst of emergencies

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