Dag Hammarskjöld Library at Uppsala University
Rights of the Disabled
- © United Nations
A dramatic shift in perspective has taken place over the past two decades towards the disabled from an approach motivated by charity to one based on rights. The United Nations has been actively involved in this process.
In 1971, the General Assembly adopted the Declaration on the Rights of Mentally Retarded Persons, and, in 1975, The Declaration of the Rights of Disabled Persons.
The year 1981 was proclaimed as the International Year of Disabled Persons under the theme "full participation and equality" with the elaboration of the World Programme of Action concerning Disabled Persons.
In 1993, the General Assembly adopted a resolution entitled Standard Rules of the Equalization of Opportunities for People with Disabilities.
In the Commission on Human Rights Resolution 2000/51 the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights in cooperation with the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Disability developed a programme aimed at enhancing the human rights dimension of disability supporting the elaboration of a new convention on the human rights of persons with disabilities strengthening the collaboration with the Special Rapporteur and other relevant UN bodies and agencies.
The new Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities was adopted 13 December 2006.
See also DagDok: Economic and Social Development, Disabled Persons.
Documentation
The High Commissioner's reports on human rights and disability are posted at the UN official web site, Office of the High Commissioner of Human Rights, Issues, Disability.
Yearbook of the United Nations provides an overview of the United Nations work relevant to the rights of disabled persons. A complete collection of yearbooks is held by the Dag Hammarskjöld Library, Uppsala, and the Libraries at UN Headquarters in New York and Geneva. Since October 2008 the complete full text collection of The United Nations Yearbooks is available online at http://unyearbook.un.org/.
Full text declarations and conventions are posted at the UN official web site, Human Rights, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Human Rights by Issue, Disability, Instruments.
Compendium on International and Regional Instruments.
See also DagDok: Economic and Social Development. Disabled Persons.
Databases and Indexes
A web portal to the United Nations work in the field of human rights and disability with linkts to UN main bodies and focal points and full text documents and reports is posted at the UN official web site, Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Issues, Disability.
United Nations enable is a web portal to the United Nations work in the field of disability. It provides an overview of activities and full text documents and reports on disability and human rights.
The UN Library online catalogue UNBISnet contains reports, documents and articles related to UN activities with links to full texts for recent years. Subject search can be performed using relevant terms from the UNBIS THESAURUS.