Center for International Rehabilitation and Disabled Peoples International
Presents UN with Landmark Report on the Human Rights of People with-
Disabilities China, Japan labeled most inclusive nations for persons with
disabilities
Posted by rollingrains at August 11, 2005 12:51 AM
New York City (August 10, 2005) The Center for International
Rehabilitation and Disabled Peoples International today presented the
International Disability Rights Monitor (IDRM) Regional Report of Asia at
the United Nations. The IDRM report provides vital data about disability
rights as the United Nations continues to debate a proposed International
Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities. The Regional Report
of Asia found that Japan and China are the most inclusive countries for
people with disabilities, while India and Cambodia are the least
inclusive. The report focused on seven countries: China, Thailand,
Vietnam, Cambodia, India, Japan and the Philippines.There are over 600 million people with disabilities across the globe, and
it is vital that we properly document their status and condition, said
CIR President Maria Reina. This report begins the process of developing a
clear and concise account of how the governments across Asia are
responding to the needs of people with disabilities in their countries.The Asia report was compiled over the course of 12 months and focused on
several keyareas such as legal protections, education and employment,
accessibility, health and housing services for people with disabilities
in Asia. The majority of the countries have comprehensive disability laws
and policies designed to improve the status of people of with
disabilities; however, in reality people with disabilities still face
exclusion on a daily basis. No countries provide adequate basic
protections in each of the Categories measuring the actual implementation
of disability rights. The areas of accessibility, education and
employment show the greatest disparity between rights and reality. For
instance in the Philippines, 20% of children with disabilities have never
attended school despite the existence of a law requiring that quality
education be made available to them. In India, 74% of people with
disabilities and 94% of people with intellectual disabilities are
unemployed.This is the second report of the International Disability Rights Monitor
(IDRM), a groundbreaking initiative by the CIR, DPI and other members of
the disability community to document and assess disability rights and
abuses in every country across the globe. The mission of the IDRM is to
promote the full inclusion and participation of people with disabilities
in society and to advance the use of international humanitarian law in
ensuring that the rights of people with disabilities are respected and
enforced. The first IDRM, the Report of the Americas, was published in
August 2004. The importance of this report is to monitor the disparities
between laws and implementation. Only through reports like this can we
advocate for change and ensure true progress in improving the lives of
peoples with disabilities worldwide said Venus Ilagan, Chairperson of DPI.The Center for International Rehabilitation is a not-for-profit,
non-governmental organization that seeks to improve the lives of people
with disabilities in some of the poorest countries by providing
rehabilitation and training programs and mobility aides, and advocating
the rights of people with disabilities worldwide. Founded in 1996 by Dr.
William Kennedy Smith and based in Chicago, the CIR operates in
collaboration with the renowned Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago and
Northwestern University.DPI is a network of national organizations of disabled people,
established to promote the human rights of disabled people through full
participation, equalization of opportunity and development. Founded in
1981, Disabled Peoples International (DPI) is a global organization,
headquartered in Canada, with National Assemblies in 135 countries.
Regional offices operate in Latin America, Africa, Asia/Pacific, Europe
and the Caribbean.For more information on the programs of the Center for International
Rehabilitation, please visit our website at http://www.cirnetwork.org/.
For more information on Disabled Peoples International, please visit
http://www.dpi.org/.