This report documents the experience of exclusion of people with intellectual disabilities and their families during the COVID-19 pandemic. These experiences reveal pre-existing structural inequalities that affected the lives of people with intellectual disabilities and their families before COVID-19, during the pandemic, and beyond, and this report raises up the voices of those most excluded in a time of global crisis and demands an inclusive COVID-19 recovery.
This report includes the experiences of people with intellectual disabilities and families across eight different issue areas. Across these themes, we examined how and why people with intellectual disabilities were left out and excluded in pandemic responses, what pre-existing conditions and inequalities contributed to their vulnerability and exclusion, and how future policy structures could begin to address both this immediate and systemic exclusion.
Together, these experiences and policy solutions form our global agenda for inclusive COVID-19 recovery, an action plan to ensure that government efforts to ‘build back better’ are inclusive of people with intellectual disabilities and their families.
This in-depth, illustrated report on the abuses of female patients with psychosocial or intellectual disabilities at institutions in India found that patients experience widespread neglect and abuses of their rights, including denial of legal capacity, a lack of community-based support and services, verbal and physical violence as well as involuntary treatment and admission. It recommends that “India undertake urgent reforms to guarantee the legal capacity of people with psychosocial or intellectual disabilities and take steps to shift from institutional to community-based care and services for people with disabilities”, with specific recommendations for central and state government level, national and state commissions and international donors
Note: Easy-to-read version, summary and video also available
This easy-to-read summary uses simple language and clear illustrations to succinctly present the key principles of the full report: “Treated worse than animals: abuses against women and girls with psychosocial or intellectual disabilities in institutions in India”. The report found that female patients with psychosocial or intellectual disabilities at institutions in India experience widespread neglect and abuses of their rights
Note: Full report, summary and video also available
This report presents the situation of violence, neglect, and isolation for children with disabilities in Russian orphanages. The report is based on visits by Human Rights Watch researchers to 10 orphanages in 6 regions of Russia, as well as on more than 200 interviews with parents, children, and young people currently and formerly living in institutions in these regions in addition to 2 other regions of Russia. It finds that many children and young people with disabilities who have lived in state orphanages suffered serious abuse and neglect on the part of institution staff that impedes their development. The report presents the background of the current situation and its detailed findings. and makes recommendations to key Russian stakeholders to ensure protection of the rights of children with disabilities in Russia and to comply with its international human rights obligations
Note: Easy read version is available from the web link
This factsheet highlights the issue of disabilities among refugees and conflict-affected population. It emphasizes actions undertaken by the Women’s Refugee Commission (WRC) and highlights their next steps in disability inclusion
This easy-to-read guide supports donors to address disability from a human rights perspective, in particular by supporting disabled persons organizations (DPOs). "This guide is divided into four main parts. Part I provides basic information on the background to the CRPD and its general principles to help donors place the CRPD in the context of their own strategies. Part II provides examples of practical actions donors can implement that will improve the way funding is promoted and managed so it becomes increasingly inclusive. Part III offers guidance for how donors can engage more directly with representative organizations of persons with disabilities. Finally, Part IV provides examples of disability organizations and links to further information about disability inclusive funding"