“The UN International Day of Persons with Disabilities is intended to promote the rights and well-being of persons with disabilities in all spheres of society and development, and to increase awareness of the situation of persons with disabilities in every aspect of political, social, economic and cultural life”.
- The United Nations
The human rights of persons with disabilities
Since 1992, the International Day of Persons with Disabilities has been celebrated on 3 December annually. Although many countries have not yet implemented the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), there are many ongoing discussions concerning the implementation of the CRPD in domestic law.
“Awareness-raising is an important element also in the CRPD, being explicitly addressed in Article 8. It is estimated that more than one billion people live with some form of disability worldwide – a staggering number that demonstrates that the human rights of persons with disabilities affects every nation and every community, and that it is a human rights issue that truly deserves considerable awareness. The Nordic Journal of Human Rights promises to keep this issue on its agenda in the time to come”, says Professor Kjetil Mujezinović Larsen at the Department of Public and International Law, University of Oslo. He is currently the editor of NCHR’s journal.
Disability, Sexuality, and Gender in Asia
NCHR recently launched the book "Disability, Sexuality, and Gender in Asia: Intersectionality, Human Rights, and the Law". The Routledge publication is now available with Open Access.
By featuring contributions from scholars, disability rights organizations, and human rights advocates from various Asian countries, the book provides a unique perspective on the lived experiences of disabled individuals. The book is a preliminary introduction to the frontline practice of Asian disability advocacy, emphasizing in particular the experiences of women and LGBTIQ individuals with disabilities. It sheds light on their efforts to realize their rights, identity, sexual orientation and personal safety. Based on local knowledge and experience, the book has been developed through a five year process supporting and empowering local communities for academic writing. Experts and civil society representatives from Norway, as well as the UN Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities, Gerard Quinn, have contributed to the trainings.
Articles available on the Nordic Journal of Human Rights
The NCHR is proud to publish leading academic research on human rights in the Nordic Journal of Human Rights. In celebration of the International Day of Disabled Persons, the Journal has made a collection of articles open to the public. The following articles shed light on the human rights situation of people with disabilities and on the international legal framework on disabilities from various angles. They can be freely accessed freely until February 29.
See the collection on this page or directly access the articles here:
- Kjersti Skarstad: Oppression or Support? Social Policy in the Lives of Persons with Intellectual Disabilities.
- Sébastien Lorion: A Model for National Human Rights Systems? New Governance and the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
- Jan Grue: Inclusive Marginalisation? A Critical Analysis of the Concept of Disability, Its Framings and Their Implications in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
- Virginia Atkinson, Rebecca Aaberg & Staffan Darnolf: Disability Rights and Election Observation: Increasing Access to the Political Process.
- Eric P Tudzi, John T Bugri & Anthony K Danso: Human Rights of Students with Disabilities in Ghana: Accessibility of the University Built Environment.
- Domenico Zipoli: NHRI Engagement with UN Human Rights Treaty Bodies: A Goal-based Approach.
- Jenny E. Goldschmidt: New Perspectives on Equality: Towards Transformative Justice through the Disability Convention?