Human Rights & Employment
2. Human Rights PWID
2.3. Filling the gap between policy and practice
· We should not assume that everyone knows what the human rights of PWID are. It is necessary to continue raising awareness on disability rights among persons with disabilities themselves, their families and their advocates, local and regional and national governments, policy makers, civil society organisations and the wider public.
· We should move forward from policy intent onto an agenda for action. This could be achieved through the effective formulation of international, national and regional plans whith implementation strengthened by the use of measurable targets and indicators for monitoring progress in specific local contexts. Action plans should include timetables, allocated responsibilities, established accountability mechanisms and allocated resources in order to make the implementation of successful strategies operational.
Two examples in that direction are the European Disability Strategy (2010 - 2020) and the Council of Europe disability Strategy (2017-2023).
And last but not least
· We should always involve people with disabilities as the main agents of change. People with disabilities have unique insight on disability and their situation. They are entitled to have control over their lives and therefore need to be consulted on issues that concern them directly – whether in health, education, rehabilitation or community living. Self-advocacy skills and supported decision-making may be necessary to enable some individuals to better communicate their needs and choices.
Activity ideas
- Talk to people in your community about the convention
- Take some photos that exemplify what Human rights mean to you
- Choose an article from the convention that is important to you, then make a video about it and post it on YouTube
- Watch the following video