Dispelling
Darkness
Lakshman Prasad
Excerpts
from the paper presented at, the National Convention
on "Human
Rights Of The Persons With Disabilities - Community
Participative Rehabilitation” in
October 2000
Bearing
in mind the need to assist. disabled persons develop
their activities
in various fields and promoting their integration as
far as possible in normal life, the UN proclaimed the "DECLARATION
OF RIGHTS OF DISABLED PERSONS" on December 9 1973.
The Declaration,
inter alia, emphasizes the following.
RESPECT HUMAN
DIGNITY
Disabled persons
shall enjoy all the rights set forth in the Declaration.
These rights shall
be granted to all disabled persons without any exception
whatsoever and without distinction or discrimination
on the basis of race, colour, sex, language, religion,
political or other. opinions, national or social origin,
state of health, birth or any other situation applying
either to the disabled person himself or herself or to
his/her family. Disabled persons have the inherent right
to respect for their human dignity.
This implies, first
and foremost, the right to enjoy a decent life, as normal
and full as possible.
SAME RIGHTS AS
OTHER HUMAN BEINGS
Disabled Persons
have the same civil and political rights as other human
beings.
Article 7 of the
Declaration of the Rights of Mentally-retarded Persons
applies to any possible. limitation or suppression of
these rights for mentally disabled persons. Disabled
persons are entitled to the measures designed to enable
them to become as self-reliant as possible.
Disabled persons
have the right to medical, psychological and, functional
treatment, including prosthetic and orthotic appliances,
medical and social rehabilitation.
Placement services
and other services, which will enable them to develop
their capabilities and skills to the maximum and will
hasten the process of their social Integration or reintegration.
Disabled persons
have the right to economic and social security and to
a decent level of living.
They have the right,
according to their capabilities, to secure and retain
employment or to engage in a useful productive and remunerative
occupation and to join trade unions.
Disabled Persons
are entitled to have their special needs taken into consideration
at all stages of economic and social planning.
Disabled persons
have the right to live with their families or with foster
parents and to participate in all social, creative or
recreational activities.
No disabled person
shall be subjected, as far as his or her residence is
concerned, to differential treatment, other than that
required by his or her condition or by the improvement
which he or she may derive therefrom.
If the stay of a
disable person in a specialized establishment is indispensable,
the environment and living conditions therein shall be
as close as possible to those of the normal life of a
person of his or her age.
PROTECTION AGAINST
EXPLOITATION AND DISCRIMINATION
Disabled persons
shall be protected against all exploitation, all regulations
and all treatment of a discriminatory, abusive or degrading
nature.
Disabled persons
shall be able to avail themselves of qualified legal
aid that proves indispensable for the protection of their
person and property.
If judicial proceedings
are instituted against them, the legal procedure applied
shall take their physical and mental conditions into
account.
Organizations of
disabled persons may be usefully consulted on all matters
regarding the rights of disabled persons.
Disabled persons,
their families and communities, shall be fully informed,
by all appropriate means, of the rights contained in
this Declaration.
Source: Success & Ability,
Volume 7 No. 1
Dated Jan-Mar 2002
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