📘 What does the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities say: Accessibility and Health.
From the Preamble, the CRPD recognizes “the importance of accessibility to the physical, social, economic and cultural environment, to health and education, and to information and communications, in enabling persons with disabilities to fully enjoy all human rights and fundamental freedoms.”
In relation to health, in Article 25, the States Parties recognize that persons with disabilities have the right to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health without discrimination on the basis of disability.
It also states that States Parties shall take appropriate measures to ensure access by persons with disabilities to gender-sensitive health services, including health-related rehabilitation.
In particular, States Parties have the authority to:
-Provide persons with disabilities with free or affordable health care and programs of the same range and quality as for other persons. Including sexual and reproductive health and public health programs.
-Providing health services needed by persons with disabilities as a result of their disability, including early detection and intervention, where appropriate. And services aimed at preventing and minimizing the onset of new disabilities, including children and the elderly.
-Provide services for people with disabilities, including in rural areas.
-Requiring health professionals to provide the same quality of care to persons with disabilities as to others on the basis of free and informed consent, including by raising awareness of the human rights, dignity, autonomy, and needs of persons with disabilities through training and the promulgation of ethical standards for public and private health care.
-Prohibit discrimination against persons with disabilities in the provision of health and life insurance where permitted under national law, and ensure that such insurance is provided in a fair and reasonable manner.
-Prevent the discriminatory denial of health or health care services or solid or liquid foods on the basis of disability.
Know, advocate and spread the word! Access the full text of the Convention here: https://www.un.org/esa/socdev/enable/documents/tccconvs.pdf