Human Rights of Persons with Disabilities: Laws and Policies

Persons with disability include those people who have long-term physical, mental, intellectual or sensory impairments. Social and environmental barriers along with the disabilities in such persons may impede their participation in the society. A disabled person's inability to access any public place or institution can be considered as the society's inability to ensure the well-being and progress for all the people of the society, including the disabled. These people constitute a sizable portion of the world population but they remain a vulnerable and marginalized section of the society. They encounter human rights abuses such as stigma and discrimination, isolation, lack of access to education, health and employment opportunities, and institutionalization. Laws and policies with respect to disability human rights seek to protect and promote the rights of persons with disability. It aims to adopt and implement policies, laws and programs that remove barriers and ensure that the disabled are able to exercise their civil, cultural, economic, political and social rights. This book outlines the human rights laws and policies with respect to disabled people in detail. It will prove to be immensely beneficial to students and researchers in this field.