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For teenagers in developing countries, there is no greater threat to life than road traffic crashes: road crashes are the leading cause of preventable death of youth aged 15 to 29 years, and the second cause for those aged 5 to 14 years.(6) The risks are even higher for children with disabilities, who are also more exposed to non-fatal injuries from road crashes.

In this thematic brief, the importance of inclusive urban planning is emphasised. Urban mobility and road safety challenges discussed include: safe crossing points over roads and collective transport (particularly buses). 

Two case studies are provided: Safer access to school for disabled students in Kenya; and School access and pedestrian safety improvements in Democratic Republic of Congo

Recommendations for improvements in policies and actions are given under the headings:

• 1. Strengthening the policy and financial framework for safe and inclusive mobility, based on evidence and through participative processes
• 2. Removing the barriers to safe and accessible mobility, focusing on: the built environment; transport and vehicles; people

This report documents a range of abuses against children and adults with disabilities in residential institutions in Brazil. The research is based on direct observations during visits to 19 institutions (known in Brazil as shelters and care homes), including 8 for children, as well as 5 inclusive residences for people with disabilities. In addition, Human Rights Watch researchers interviewed 171 people, including children with disabilities and their families, adults with disabilities in institutions, disability rights advocates, representatives of non–governmental organizations, including disabled persons organizations, staff in institutions, and government officials.

Research was carried out between November 2016 and March 2018 in the states of São Paulo (including São Paulo and Campinas), Rio de Janeiro (including Rio de Janeiro, Duque de Caxias, Niteroi and Nova Friburgo), Bahia (Salvador) and Distrito Federal (including Brasilia and Ceilândia).

Purpose: Choice and autonomy are recognized as values facilitating genuine self- determination. Subsequently greater understanding of these concepts in decision-making practices of adults with intellectual disabilities is required.

Aims: The twofold aim of this research study was to ascertain the core concern (most important issue) for adults with intellectual disabilities as they make choices and exercise autonomy and to develop a theory explaining how these adults attempt to resolve their core concern.

Methods: This research study undertaken in a single organization in the Republic of Ireland applied classic-grounded theory methods. Participants included twelve adults who were attending day services and accessing a variety of other organizational services. Interviews were undertaken, between January 2012 and September 2013, in different contexts on up to 4 occasions (46 interviews). Data analysis utilized concurrent processes of constant comparative analysis.

Results: The main issue of concern for these participants was ‘control’ in environments that were controlling of them and they responded by ‘aligning with the flow of control’ explained by how they framed control, emotionally connected and adjusted in compliance situations.

Conclusions: This theory offers a conceptual delineation of the way adults with intellectual disabilities manage the daily tensions and harmonies in decision-making.

This report is based on 17 cases of sexual violence against women and girls with disabilities in eight Indian states. It comes five years after The Criminal Law (Amendment) Act, 2013 (the 2013 amendments) were adopted in India. It follows Human Rights Watch’s November 2017 report “Everyone Blames Me”: Barriers to Justice and Support Services for Sexual Assault Survivors in India, which found that rape survivors still face significant barriers obtaining justice and critical support services because legal and other reforms have not been fully realised.

This report finds that while the 2013 amendments have made significant progress in responding to the widespread challenges that victims of sexual violence endure, they have yet to properly develop and implement support for survivors with disabilities in the form of trainings and reforms throughout the criminal justice system. It highlights gaps in enforcement and calls for concrete measures to address the needs of women and girls with disabilities seeking justice for abuse. 

This new Making It Work report presents 9 good practices successfully addressing the prevention and response to violence and discrimination against women and girls with disabilities in Africa. It also contains key advocacy recommendations that can be used for disability and/or gender advocates in order to further promote the rights of women and girls with disabilities.

The practices were:

• Gender-Based Violence prevention through a grassroots initiative led by women with disabilities (Rwanda)
• Protecting urban refugee women and girls with disabilities from abuse and discrimination in Kenya
• Advancing the access of deafblind women and girls to Sexual and Reproductive Health (Malawi)
• Enhancing access to justice for GenderBased Violence survivors with intellectual challenges through integrated legal and psychosocial support service provision (Kenya)
• Developing knowledge and empowerment through the Gender and Disability Inclusive Development Community of Practice (Cameroon)
• Promoting a safer, Gender-Based Violence free environment for women and girls with disabilities in Lilongwe, Malawi
• Restoring the dignity of women and girls with disabilities in the Plateau State of Nigeria
• Forging a district community where women and girls with disabilities live dignified and empowered lives (Uganda)
• Emerging Practice: Fostering peace and respect by bringing women and girls with disabilities concerns into a women’s organization (Kenya)

This special issue of this journal includes the following papers:

• Achieving Disability Equality: Empowering Disabled People to Take the Lead
• Dis-Equality: Exploring the Juxtaposition of Disability and Equality
• Leveraging Employer Practices in Global Regulatory Frameworks to Improve Employment Outcomes for People with Disabilities
• Equality of What? The Capability Approach and the Right to Education for Persons with Disabilities
• Reasonable Accommodation as a Gateway to the Equal Enjoyment of Human Rights: From New York to Strasbourg
• Disability, Access to Food and the UN CRPD: Navigating Discourses of Human Rights in the Netherlands
• Rehabilitation as a Disability Equality Issue: A Conceptual Shift for Disability Studies?
• Inclusions and Exclusions in Rural Tanzanian Primary Schools: Material Barriers, Teacher Agency and Disability Equality
• Education, Work, and Motherhood in Low and Middle Income Countries: A Review of Equality Challenges and Opportunities for Women with Disabilities
• Social Inclusion through Community Living: Current Situation, Advances and Gaps in Policy, Practice and Research

This short report summarises discussions during a meeting concerning what is known about violence against women with disabilities and the evidence gaps, with a focus on Asia and the Pacific. It includes a brief overview of the current situation and suggested ways forward for researchers, the kNOwVAWdata initiative and other regional and global initiatives to measure prevalence of violence against women with disabilities, and for relevant regional and national institutions

A needs assessment conducted in 2017 confirmed that women, children and youth with disabilities in Lebanon and their caregivers are facing a range of gender based violence (GBV) -related risks including: child marriage among girls with disabilities; exploitation of women and adolescent girls with disabilities and female caregivers; intimate partner violence (IPV) against women with disabilities; sexual harassment by male community members

This guidance is designed to support frontline workers, community volunteers and mobilizers who are working in GBV prevention and response, and their supervisors, to foster inclusion of persons with disabilities in their community activities. It includes guidance, key actions and tools to improve accessibility of existing community processes and activities relating to GBV. 

The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities underscores the equal right of persons with disabilities to participate in political life. However, in Africa they are often unable to exercise their right to vote. This study sought to systematically review available evidence on inclusive elections in Africa. Findings showed that although most African countries ratified disability-focused legislation and proclaimed equal opportunities, the implementation of the legislation varies across the continent. Barriers to political participation can occur at any electoral stage and can be broadly categorised into three groups: lack of education and financial resources; stigma and negative social attitudes; and inaccessible physical infrastructure.