UNRIC Library Backgrounder: Disability

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UN Entities

• UN Programme on Disability: https://social.desa.un.org/issues/disability
• United Nations Disability Inclusion Strategy: https://www.un.org/en/content/disabilitystrategy/
• Special Envoy of the Secretary-General on Disability and Accessibility: https://social.desa.un.org/issues/disability/special-envoy-of-the-secretary-general-on-disability-and-accessibility
• Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities:  http://www.ohchr.org/EN/HRBodies/CRPD/Pages/CRPDIndex.aspx
• Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights – Human Rights of persons with disabilities: http://www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/Disability/Pages/DisabilityIndex.aspx
• Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities: http://www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/Disability/SRDisabilities/Pages/SRDisabilitiesIndex.aspx
• International Labour Organization (ILO) – Disability and work: http://www.ilo.org/global/topics/disability-and-work/lang–en/index.htm
• United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
  • Inclusion in Education: https://www.unesco.org/en/inclusion-education
  • ICTs for Persons living with Disabilities: http://en.unesco.org/partnerships/partnering/icts-persons-living-disabilities
• United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) – Disabilities: https://www.unicef.org/disabilities/
• World Bank – Disability Inclusion: http://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/disability
• World Health Organization (WHO) – Disabilities: https://www.who.int/health-topics/disability

UN Treaties, Declarations and Major Documents

• Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and Optional Protocol (2006): https://social.desa.un.org/issues/disability/crpd/convention-on-the-rights-of-persons-with-disabilities-crpd
• Standard Rules on Equalization of Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities (1993): https://undocs.org/A/RES/48/96
• World Programme of Action Concerning Disabled Persons (1982): https://undocs.org/A/37/351/Add.1 and https://undocs.org/A/37/351/Add.1/Corr.1
• Declaration on the Rights of Disabled Persons (1975): https://undocs.org/A/RES/3447(XXX)
• OHCHR Studies, reports & papers: https://www.ohchr.org/en/disabilities/reports
• Towards the full realization of an inclusive and accessible United Nations for persons with disabilities: report of the Secretary-General (A/71/344, 19 August 2016): https://undocs.org/A/71/344
• Mainstreaming disability in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development: report of the Secretary-General (E/CN.5/2017/4, 22 November 2016): https://undocs.org/E/CN.5/2017/4
• Accelerating the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development by, for and with persons with disabilities: report of the Secretary-General (E/CN.5/2019/4, 21 November 2018): https://undocs.org/E/CN.5/2019/4
• 2018 Flagship Report on Disability and Development: https://undocs.org/A/73/220, https://www.un.org/development/desa/disabilities/publication-disability-sdgs.html
• Further documents – click here

Selected Statements and Speeches of UN Officials

• Stressing United Nations commitment to inclusion, Secretary-General tells State Parties Conference on Disabilities Convention ‘We must pick up the pace’ (SG/SM/21835, 13 June 2023): https://press.un.org/en/2023/sgsm21835.doc.htm
• Stressing need to safeguard human rights in digital space, Secretary-General Observance Message urges full inclusion, accessibility for persons with disabilities (SG/SM/21601, 25 November 2022): https://press.un.org/en/2022/sgsm21601.doc.htm
• ‘We need the leadership of persons with disabilities’, Secretary-General tells States Parties to Convention, calling for inclusion on all fronts (SG/SM/21321, 14 June 2022): https://press.un.org/en/2022/sgsm21321.doc.htm
• Secretary-General stresses need to ensure all members of human family have chance at living full lives, in Message for Global Disability Summit (SG/SM/21143, 16 February 2022): https://press.un.org/en/2022/sgsm21143.doc.htm
• Assistive technology ‘not only a right, but a practical pathway to inclusion’, Deputy Secretary-General tells Global Disability Summit (DSG/SM/1678, 15 January 2022): https://press.un.org/en/2022/dsgsm1678.doc.htm
• Involving persons with disabilities in COVID-19 Pandemic Response key for building more inclusive, accessible world, Secretary-General Observance Message stresses (SG/SM/21040, 24 November 2021): https://press.un.org/en/2021/sgsm21040.doc.htm
• Recover better, build back accessible, Secretary-General tells Convention States Parties, stressing ‘persons with disabilities must no longer be left behind’ (SG/SM/20778, 15 June 2021): https://press.un.org/en/2021/sgsm20778.doc.htm
• Secretary-General’s Observance Message stresses need to account for hopes, rights of persons with disabilities in accessible, sustainable post-pandemic world (SG/SM/20462, 1 December 2020): https://press.un.org/en/2020/sgsm20462.doc.htm
• United Nations aims to be ‘employer of choice’ for world’s 1 billion persons with disabilities, Secretary-General tells Conference of States Parties (SG/SM/20456, 30 November 2020): https://press.un.org/en/2020/sgsm20456.doc.htm
• Promoting report on disability inclusion strategy, Deputy Secretary-General stresses need to measure progress, while raising standards, ambition (DSG/SM/1487, 15 October 2020): https://press.un.org/en/2020/dsgsm1487.doc.htm
• COVID-19 exacerbating hardship for people with disabilities, Deputy Secretary-General tells network round table, urging action to create inclusive societies (DSG/SM/1423, 25 June 2020): https://press.un.org/en/2020/dsgsm1423.doc.htm
• Pandemic reveals how excluded are society’s most marginalized, Secretary-General says, launching Policy Brief on Persons with Disabilities and COVID-19 (SG/SM/20074, 6 May 2020): https://press.un.org/en/2020/sgsm20074.doc.htm

Selected Publications available online

• WHO Publications on Disabilities and rehabilitation: https://bit.ly/45StZ2n
• ILO Publications on Disability and work:
  https://www.ilo.org/global/topics/disability-and-work/publications/lang–en/index.htm
• UN DESA Policy Brief No. 147: Old age inequality begins at birth: life course influences on late-life disability (4 January 2023): https://bit.ly/45Rt9CM
• Global report on health equity for persons with disabilities (WHO, December 2022): https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240063600
• Policy Brief: A Disability-Inclusive Response to COVID-19 (May 2020): https://bit.ly/45rMXgg
  • Easy to read MS Word document: https://bit.ly/3L3MDfH
  • EPUB file: https://bit.ly/3RinQZl
• OHCHR Guidelines on COVID-19 and the rights of persons with disabilities (OHCHR, 2020): https://www.ohchr.org/en/documents/tools-and-resources/ohchr-guidelines-covid-19-and-rights-persons-disabilities
• International Principles and Guidelines on Access to Justice for Persons with Disabilities (2020): https://social.desa.un.org/sites/default/files/migrated/15/2020/10/Access-to-Justice-EN.pdf
• Pivoting to Inclusion: Leveraging Lessons from the COVID-19 Crisis for Learners with Disabilities (World Bank, 2020): https://bit.ly/3g9P52D
• UN Disability and Development Report 2018 – Realizing the SDGs by, for and with persons with disabilities: https://www.un.org/development/desa/disabilities/publication-disability-sdgs.html
• Report on the World Social Situation 2018 – Promoting Inclusion Through Social Protection: https://www.un.org/development/desa/dspd/world-social-report/2018-2.html
• Reporting on Disability: Guidelines for the media (ILO, 2nd ed. 2015): http://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/—ed_emp/—ifp_skills/documents/publication/wcms_127002.pdf
• The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities: Training Guide (OHCHR, 2014): http://www.ohchr.org/Documents/Publications/CRPD_TrainingGuide_
  PTS19_EN%20Accessible.pdf
• Monitoring the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities: Guidance for Human Rights Monitors (April 2010): http://www.ohchr.org/Documents/Publications/Disabilities_training_17EN.pdf
• It’s About Ability: Learning Guide on the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNICEF, 2009): https://www.unicef.org/media/85751/file/Its_About_Ability_Learning_Guide_EN.pdf
• It’s About Ability: An explanation of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNICEF, 2008): https://www.unicef.org/reports/its-about-ability
• From Exclusion to Equality: Realizing the Rights of Persons with Disabilities; Handbook for Parliamentarians on the Convention (October 2007): http://www.ohchr.org/Documents/Publications/training14en.pdf

Further Information

• Audiovisual Library of International Law – Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (New York, 13 December 2006): http://legal.un.org/avl/ha/crpd/crpd.html
• ILO Library Research Guide – Disability: http://libguides.ilo.org/disability-en
• UNOG Library Research Guide – Disability Inclusion: https://libraryresources.unog.ch/disability

UN Observances & Events

• International Day of Persons with Disabilities – 3 December
  https://www.un.org/en/observances/day-of-persons-with-disabilities
  https://social.desa.un.org/issues/disability/international-day-of-persons-with-disabilities-3-december
• High-level Meeting of the General Assembly on “The way forward: a disability inclusive development agenda towards 2015 and beyond” (23 September 2013)
  http://www.un.org/en/ga/68/meetings/disability/
  http://un-library.tumblr.com/post/52635382314/un-general-assembly-first-high-level-meeting-for

August 2023
not an official document – for information only
https://unric.org/en/unric-library-backgrounder-disability/