Global Disability Context and Wheelchair Mobility

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Top Contributors - Naomi O'Reilly, Kim Jackson, Jess Bell and Simisola Ajeyalemi  

Introduction

While many countries have started taking action to improve the lives of people with disabilities, much remains to be done. The evidence in the World report on disability suggests that many of the barriers people with disabilities face are avoidable and that disadvantages associated with disability can be overcome. The report calls on governments to review and revise existing legislation and policies for consistency with the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) and to develop national disability strategies and action plans.

Global Disability Context

Rights to a Wheelchair

The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Person with Disabilities (UNCRPD) entered into force on 3 May 2008.

There are human rights that apply to everybody. The UNCRPD focuses on ensuring that everybody recognises that these rights also apply to people with disabilities. There are 50 different articles in the Convention.

One of the articles, article 20, is about "personal mobility" which says: " States Parties shall take effective measures to ensure personal mobility with greatest possible independence for persons with disabilities".

Wheelchair Service Personnel can help to implement Article 20 of the UNCRPD by:

• providing an appropriate wheelchair for wheelchair users who visit their service;
• assisting wheelchair users in learning how to get in and out of wheelchair y themselves;
• supporting wheelchair users in learning how to propel themselves;
• encouraging family members to support wheelchair user's to be as independent as they can be.

There are other human rights that people with mobility impairments can enjoy more easily if they have an appropriate wheelchair. These are:

• living independently and being included in the community (Article 19) ;
• right to education (Article 24);
• right to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health (Article 25);
• right to work and employment (Article 27);
• right o participate in political and public life (Article 29);
• right to participate in cultural life, recreation, leisure and sport (Article 30).

References