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Disability inclusion in the United Nations system - Report of the Secretary General

SECRETARY-GENERAL OF THE UNITED NATIONS
October 2020

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When launching the Strategy in June 2019, the Secretary-General stated that the United Nations would lead by example and raise its standards and performance on disability inclusion across all pillars of its work, from Headquarters to the field. The present report outlines the first steps on the path to achieving transformative and lasting change for persons with disabilities across the United Nations system

 

The report is organized into seven sections. Following the introduction, an overview of the advances made in the United Nations on disability inclusion, including the adoption of the Strategy, is provided in section II; the first year of implementation of the Strategy at the entity and country levels is reported on in section III; coronavirus disease (COVID-19) response and recovery efforts are the focus of section IV; the overarching actions for implementation of the Strategy are considered in section V; challenges and opportunities are highlighted in section VI; and the conclusion and recommendations for consideration by the General Assembly are contained in section VII. The report provides an analysis of information from 57 United Nations entities1 that reported under the Strategy ’s entity accountability framework and seven United Nations country teams that completed the accountability scorecard on disability inclusion as part of a targeted roll-out.

“Disability Is Not Weakness” Discrimination and barriers facing women and girls with disabilities in Afghanistan

GOSSMAN, Patricia
April 2020

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Everyday barriers that Afghan women and girls with disabilities face are described.  Decades of conflict have decimated government institutions and development efforts have failed to reach many communities most in need. Obtaining access to health care, education, and employment, along with other basic rights, is particularly difficult for Afghan women and girls with disabilities, who face both gender discrimination and stigma and barriers associated with their disability.

 

This report is based primarily on research by Human Rights Watch researchers from April 2018 through January 2020 in Kabul, Mazar-e Sharif, and Herat, Afghanistan. 23 interviews with women with disabilities and 3 interviews with family members of women and girls with disabilities were conducted. 14 healthcare and education professionals were interviewed, including representatives from the United Nations and international and local nongovernmental organizations providing services to persons with disabilities in Afghanistan

Guidelines. Inclusion of persons with disabilities in humanitarian action

IASC TASK TEAM ON INCLUSION OF PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES IN HUMANITARIAN ACTION
July 2019

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The guidelines set out essential actions that humanitarian actors must take in order to effectively identify and respond to the needs and rights of persons with disabilities who are most at risk of being left behind in humanitarian settings. The recommended actions in each chapter place persons with disabilities at the centre of humanitarian action, both as actors and as members of affected populations. They are specific to persons with disabilities and to the context of humanitarian action and build on existing and more general standards and guidelines. These are the first humanitarian guidelines to be developed with and by persons with disabilities and their representative organizations in association with traditional humanitarian stakeholders. Based on the outcomes of a comprehensive global and regional multi-stakeholder consultation process, they are designed to promote the implementation of quality humanitarian programmes in all contexts and across all regions, and to establish and increase both the inclusion of persons with disabilities and their meaningful participation in all decisions that concern them. 

 

Chapters include:

  • What to do - key approaches to programming
  • Data and information management
  • Partnerships and empowerment of organisation of people with disabilities
  • Cross cutting considerations
  • Accountability to affected people and protection from sexual exploitation and abuse
  • Humanitarian response options
  • Stakeholder roles and responsibilities
  • What sectors need to do
  • Camp coordination and camp management
  • Education
  • Food security and nutrition
  • Livelihoods
  • Health
  • Protection
  • Shelter and settlements
  • Water, sanitation and hygiene

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

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. 

Everybody Matters: Good practices for inclusion of people with disabilities in sexual and reproductive health and rights programmes

Van SLOBBE, Caroline
November 2017

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This publication provides introductory chapters from two activists who work to create better opportunities for people with disabilities in Nigeria and India. Subsequently, the challenges that organisations worldwide have encountered whilst improving the access to and knowledge of sexual and reproductive health and rights for people with disabilities are presented. Ways in which they managed to find solutions and the results achieved are reviewed. Some cases show the importance of a more personal approach whilst others emphasise the advantage of changing systems and policies. Different regions, types of disabilities and various SRHR-topics are reflected in these stories. All cases provide lessons learnt that contribute to a set of recommendations for improved responses. The closing chapter highlights the challenges, solutions, and ambitions that are presented and lead up to a concise overview of recommendations.  

Good practice examples include:

A shift in SRH programming (Nepal)

Breaking Barriers with performance art (Kenya)

Her Body, Her Rights (Ethiopia)

People with disabilities leading the way (Israel Family Planning Association)

Best Wishes for safe motherhood (Nepal)

It’s my body! (Bangladesh)

Calling a spade a spade (Netherlands)

Four joining forces (Colombia)

Change agents with a disability (Zimbabwe)

Tito’s privacy and rights (Argentina)

Sign language for service providers (Kenya)

Human rights: a reality for all - Council of Europe Disability Strategy 2017-2023 (2017)

THE COUNCIL OF EUROPE
March 2017

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The overall goal of the Council of Europe Disability Strategy (2017-2023) is to achieve equality, dignity and equal opportunities for persons with disabilities in specific areas where the Council of Europe can make an input. In order to ensure independence, freedom of choice, full and active participation in all areas of life and society, the strategy highlights work and activities required in five priority areas:

1. Equality and non-discrimination

2. Awareness raising

3. Accessibility

4. Equal recognition before the law

5. Freedom from exploitation, violence and abuse

The strategy also proposes action targeting five cross-cutting themes: participation, co-operation and co-ordination, universal design and reasonable accommodation, gender equality perspective, multiple discrimination and education and training. 

Right to health: Reality of persons with spina bifida and hydrocephalus

MCPHERSON. Amy
January 2017

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"This report maps the situation of persons with SBH in relation to healthcare access and is a follow up of the CRPD Concluding Observations Art.25. Through a comprehensive survey, IF collected valuable data on the experiences, satisfaction, and perceptions of healthcare coverage of individuals with SBH across Europe. Based on its findings, the financial coverage of treatment and assistive products for patients with SBH is grossly insufficient across the EU. Europe as a whole lacks multidisciplinary care and specialised SBH teams, which translates into long waiting times and insufficient knowledge of the SBH specificities. 

Considering these findings, IF urges the EU Member States to adequately support the healthcare needs of persons with SBH, and to invest more substantially into creating multidisciplinary clinics that can help avoid preventable complications 11 and may reduce the overall burden 12 on the patient and the system. In addition, the Member States should actively support creation of the European Reference Networks as a way of improving care for persons with SBH. IF also calls on the European institutions for support in training medical professionals on rights of persons with disabilities."

Disability and HIV

UNAIDS
January 2017

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This report highlights existing key evidence on the relationship between disability and HIV. It discusses the concrete steps needed for a person-centred, disability-inclusive HIV response that allows for increased participation of people with disabilities and integrates rehabilitation within the continuum of HIV care.

Equal rights at the heart of the post-2015 development agenda : position paper in response to the report of the high-level panel of eminent persons on the post-2015 development agenda

EQUAL RIGHTS TRUST
September 2013

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This position paper calls for the adoption of comprehensive equality legislation to be included as a specific development goal in the framework established to succeed the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The paper argues that a failure to address inequality has been one of the undeniable failings of the MDGs. It presents research to illustrate that status-based discrimination is a driver of both income poverty and denial of access to economic and social rights, such as education and health, which are central to the current MDG framework. The paper argues that establishing effective legal protection for the rights to equality and non-discrimination can provide an important mechanism for alleviating poverty and its consequences, and concludes that this is only possible with the adoption of comprehensive equality legislation

Findings on accessibility of the zero project

HEINDORF, Ingrid
Eds
June 2012

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This report presents the findings from The Zero Project 2012 which highlights the implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. The report’s thematic focus on barriers provides examples of social indicators, good practice and good policy relating to accessibility to the physical environment, to transportation, to information and communications, as well as to other facilities and services provided to the public “"A prelude to the European Accessibility Act: Findings of the international Zero Project Report 2012"
Brussels, Belgium
21 June 2012

Managing change : mainstreaming disability into the development process

UNITED NATIONS ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMISSION FOR WESTERN ASIA (ESCWA)
June 2012

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This report addresses the situation of persons with disability in development in Western Asia. It highlights the challenges faced by persons with disabilities in the region including gender, accessibility and discrimination. It provides recommendations to promote the rights and inclusion of persons in the region including through strengthening the knowledge and policy infrastructure, data collection and the rights-based approach to development

Zero project report 2012 : international study on the implementation of the UN convention on the rights of persons with disabilities

FEMBECK, Michael
et al
November 2011

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This report includes findings from a survey conducted in 36 countries and nine Austrian states on the implementation of the UN Convention of rights for people with disabilities. The countries are analysed against 21 social indicators and are compared using a red, amber and green traffic light system for each indicator. Good practice examples are highlighted and eight good disability policy examples are provided for inclusive involvement of people with disabilities in society
Report summary is available in pdf and word formats

Of course we can : report on the rights of persons with disabilities in Timor-Leste

UNITED NATIONS INTEGRATED MISSION IN TIMOR-LESTE (UNMIT)
OFFICE OF THE UNITED NATIONS HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR HUMAN RIGHTS (OHCHR)
September 2011

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From 2010 to 2011, UNMIT’s Human Rights and Transitional Justice Section (HRTJS) conducted research on the rights of persons with disabilities. This report presents an overview of the research and highlights that, even though progress has been made in Timor-Leste to protect the rights of persons with disabilities, further steps are still needed. The report gives priority recommendations for the government, donors and the United Nations for these steps to be implemented

Realising UNCRPD : learning from inclusive practices in education and employment|Case studies in education and employment

HIRANANDANI, Vanmala
KUMAR, Arun
SONPAL, Deepa
July 2011

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"This document compiles the findings from the case studies and provides a synthesis of their inclusive practices. Further, it provides key pointers for future direction which are open for further debate. The key purpose of this document is to facilitate wider dissemination of inclusive practices in accessible formats and generate dialogue with various, thus serving an essential educational purpose"

Making a living last longer : insights into older people's livelihood strategies

ERB, Susan
2011

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This research report explores the challenges faced by older people in securing a sustainable livelihood in four countries. The research found that older people face significant barriers in achieving livelihood security due to lack of regular, predictable and sufficient cash income such as non-contributory pensions. Gender, destitution, and emergency preparedness emerged as cross-cutting issues that affect older people’s livelihood challenges regardless of location. The research also found that older people have only limited access to microfinance institutions (MFIs) and banks, and therefore to credit and savings facilities. It concludes by highlighting key guiding principles for governments, community-based organisations, NGOs, MFIs and others working to support older people to achieve greater livelihood security

Access to services for people with disabilities in Freetown, Sierra Leone

PILLERON, Sophie
2011

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"The purpose of the DECISIPH project is to promote the rights of people with disabilities in six countries in West Africa: Burkina Faso, Niger, Mali, Senegal, Sierra Leone and Togo. The first expected outcome of the project is to enhance the availability and access to relevant and reliable information on people with disabilities, their rights and their organisations in order to foster advocacy campaigns by disabled people's organisations. The aim of the study was to analyse and compare access to services for people with disabilities with that for people without disabilities in the project's intervention zones. This study in no way attempts to determine the disability prevalence rate. A cross-sectional survey was carried out in several of the DECISIPH project countries. Despite its limitations, this was the first study to be conducted in Sierra Leone and the first to provide data for gaining a better understanding of access to services for people with disabilities compared to that of people without disabilities"
SD/RS 06 No 8

State of disabled peoples' rights in Kenya (2007) report

AFRICAN UNION OF THE BLIND (AFUB)
2007

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The purpose of this report is to increase awareness on national disability legislation in Kenya and, specifically, to monitor the human rights of disabled people. The research featured stems from two projects initiated by the African Union of the Blind and the Disability Rights Promotion International Project. The aim of this report is to provide disabled peoples organisations in Kenya with the information required to expand their advocacy work on disability rights. This accessible resource is useful for anyone with an interest in disability, development and the convention on the rights of persons with disabilities

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