Human Rights Watch issued the following statement on December 3, 2010, to commemorate the International Day of Persons with Disabilities.
(New York) - Today, December 3, 2010, is the 30th International Day of Persons with Disabilities, a day to celebrate the world's diversity and promote the rights and participation of people with disabilities. Looking back from 2010 to the inaugural of this celebration in 1981, there is much to celebrate, as countries across the world can boast significant progress in acknowledging and addressing the discrimination faced by people with disabilities in enjoying their basic rights. But there is still much to do before people with disabilities are treated equally and with dignity.
One of the most notable accomplishments over the past 30 years is the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD). This treaty, now ratified by 96 countries and signed by 50 more, represents a shift in recognizing the interests of people with disabilities as the holders of rights, just like anyone else. The CRPD also gives advocates a concrete way to hold countries accountable for their actions toward people with disabilities, ensuring that states abide by the principles of equality, participation, non-discrimination, and independence.
But government commitments have not always turned into concrete actions that improve the daily lives of people with disabilities, as Human Rights Watch documented across three continents this year. For instance, in Northern Uganda, many women and girls with disabilities are not able to get health services and do not go to school. Many are subject to sexual violence that threatens their lives and makes them more vulnerable to HIV infection.
In Croatia, more than 9,000 people with intellectual or mental disabilities live in institutions that deprive them of their autonomy, privacy, and their right to live in the community. The number of institutionalized individuals is growing rather than shrinking, and there has been very little investment in housing programs and community-based support. In November, Croatia renewed its commitments to deinstitutionalization and community living for people with disabilities at the UN Human Rights Council - a promise it now needs to keep.
In the United States, people with mental disabilities, including US citizens, face a greater risk of erroneous deportation by United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) because courts do not ensure fair hearings for those not able to represent themselves in one of the most complicated areas of US law. Many are also subject to lengthy detention, some as long as ten years, while immigration courts figure out what do with individuals with whom they cannot effectively communicate.
While celebrating the progress of 30 years and the promise the CRPD brings, there is still much for advocates, self-advocates, and governments to do. Human Rights Watch urges countries across the world to take the opportunity of the International Day of Persons with Disabilities to renew their commitments and take concrete steps to improve the lives of people with disabilities across the world.
