ELPIDA Course - English

The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities has advanced the international normative framework greatly, through the prospect of making tangible improvements in the lives of persons with disabilities. It offers sufficient standards of protection for the civil, cultural, economic, political and social rights of persons with disabilities on the basis of inclusion, equality and non-discrimination. It makes it clear that persons with disabilities are entitled to live independently in their communities, to make their own choices and to play an active role in society.

There have been important advances in the participation and empowerment of persons with disabilities through greater access to physical and informational environments, especially in the western countries over the last years. Hundreds of big institutions have been closed down and their residents have moved to community-based services. Many persons with disabilities are leading fuller lives today in the community and have greater access to information, decision making and new technologies. In schools around the world, more young people with disabilities enjoy the same educational opportunities now as their peers and are gaining the necessary tools to reach their greatest potential. More and more persons with intellectual disabilities gain valued social roles as employees or employers, athletes, artists, political beings, active community members, in other words: as real citizens. 

However, the situation is far from being ideal. There is still a lot of ground for improvement. There are still many limitations and the rights of PWID are often violated.  Persons with disabilities continue to face discrimination and barriers that restrict them from participating in society on an equal basis with others every day. Thousands of them are still living in institutions. Many are often denied their rights to be included in the general school system, to be employed, to live independently in the community, to move freely, to vote, to participate in sport and cultural activities, to enjoy social protection, to access justice, to choose medical treatment and to enter freely into legal commitments such as buying and selling property.

Many people with disabilities, although supported by community-based services, continue to live in environments where they do not have effective control over their lives. They are simply present in the community without having active and respected social roles. Services for people with intellectual disabilities are often dominated by a risk-fearing culture which, on the pretext of professional authority, continues to impose top-down restrictions and trap people in boring and unproductive lives.