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Preconditions for Equal Participation
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I. Preconditions for Equal Participation
Rule 1. Awareness-raising
States should take action to raise awareness in society about persons with
disabilities, their rights, their needs, their potential and their contribution.
- States should ensure that responsible authorities distribute up-to-date information on
available programmes and services to persons with disabilities, their families,
professionals in the field and the general public. Information to persons with
disabilities should be presented in accessible form.
- States should initiate and support information campaigns concerning persons with
disabilities and disability policies, conveying the message that persons with disabilities
are citizens with the same rights and obligations as others, thus justifying measures to
remove all obstacles to full participation.
- States should encourage the portrayal of persons with disabilities by the mass media in
a positive way; organizations of persons with disabilities should be consulted on this
matter.
- States should ensure that public education programmes reflect in all their aspects the
principle of full participation and equality.
- States should invite persons with disabilities and their families and organizations to
participate in public education programmes concerning disability matters.
- States should encourage enterprises in the private sector to include disability issues
in all aspects of their activity.
- States should initiate and promote programmes aimed at raising the level of awareness of
persons with disabilities concerning their rights and potential. Increased self-reliance
and empowerment will assist persons with disabilities to take advantage of the
opportunities available to them.
- Awareness-raising should be an important part of the education of children with
disabilities and in rehabilitation programmes. Persons with disabilities could also assist
one another in awareness-raising through the activities of their own organizations.
- Awareness-raising should be part of the education of all children and should be a
component of teacher-training courses and training of all professionals.
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Rule 2. Medical care
States should ensure the provision of effective medical care to persons with
disabilities.
- States should work towards the provision of programmes run by multidisciplinary teams of
professionals for early detection, assessment and treatment of impairment. This could
prevent, reduce or eliminate disabling effects. Such programmes should ensure the full
participation of persons with disabilities and their families at the individual level, and
of organizations of persons with disabilities at the planning and evaluation level.
- Local community workers should be trained to participate in areas such as early
detection of impairments, the provision of primary assistance and referral to appropriate
services.
- States should ensure that persons with disabilities, particularly infants and children,
are provided with the same level of medical care within the same system as other members
of society.
- States should ensure that all medical and paramedical personnel are adequately trained
and equipped to give medical care to persons with disabilities and that they have access
to relevant treatment methods and technology.
- States should ensure that medical, paramedical and related personnel are adequately
trained so that they do not give inappropriate advice to parents, thus restricting options
for their children. This training should be an ongoing process and should be based on the
latest information available.
- States should ensure that persons with disabilities are provided with any regular
treatment and medicines they may need to preserve or improve their level of functioning.
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Rule 3. Rehabilitation*
- * Rehabilitation is a fundamental concept in disability policy and is defined above in
paragraph 23 of the introduction.
States should ensure the provision of rehabilitation services to persons with
disabilities in order for them to reach and sustain their optimum level of independence
and functioning.
- States should develop national rehabilitation programmes for all groups of persons with
disabilities. Such programmes should be based on the actual individual needs of persons
with disabilities and on the principles of full participation and equality.
- Such programmes should include a wide range of activities, such as basic skills training
to improve or compensate for an affected function, counselling of persons with
disabilities and their families, developing self-reliance, and occasional services such as
assessment and guidance.
- All persons with disabilities, including persons with severe and/or multiple
disabilities, who require rehabilitation should have access to it.
- Persons with disabilities and their families should be able to participate in the design
and organization of rehabilitation services concerning themselves.
- All rehabilitation services should be available in the local community where the person
with disabilities lives. However, in some instances, in order to attain a certain training
objective, special time-limited rehabilitation courses may be organized, where
appropriate, in residential form.
- Persons with disabilities and their families should be encouraged to involve themselves
in rehabilitation, for instance as trained teachers, instructors or counsellors.
- States should draw upon the expertise of organizations of persons with disabilities when
formulating or evaluating rehabilitation programmes.
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Rule 4. Support services
States should ensure the development and supply of support services, including
assistive devices for persons with disabilities, to assist them to increase their level of
independence in their daily living and to exercise their rights.
- States should ensure the provision of assistive devices and equipment, personal
assistance and interpreter services, according to the needs of persons with disabilities,
as important measures to achieve the equalization of opportunities.
- States should support the development, production, distribution and servicing of
assistive devices and equipment and the dissemination of knowledge about them.
- To achieve this, generally available technical know-how should be utilized. In States
where high-technology industry is available, it should be fully utilized to improve the
standard and effectiveness of assistive devices and equipment. It is important to
stimulate the development and production of simple and inexpensive devices, using local
material and local production facilities when possible. Persons with disabilities
themselves could be involved in the production of those devices.
- States should recognize that all persons with disabilities who need assistive devices
should have access to them as appropriate, including financial accessibility. This may
mean that assistive devices and equipment should be provided free of charge or at such a
low price that persons with disabilities or their families can afford to buy them.
- In rehabilitation programmes for the provision of assistive devices and equipment,
States should consider the special requirements of girls and boys with disabilities
concerning the design, durability and age-appropriateness of assistive devices and
equipment.
- States should support the development and provision of personal assistance programmes
and interpretation services, especially for persons with severe and/or multiple
disabilities. Such programmes would increase the level of participation of persons with
disabilities in everyday life at home, at work, in school and during leisure-time
activities.
- Personal assistance programmes should be designed in such a way that the persons with
disabilities using the programmes have a decisive influence on the way in which the
programmes are delivered.
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