Thematic report on the right of persons with disabilities to education
Background
In its resolution 22/3, the Human Rights Council requested the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights to prepare a study on the right of persons with disabilities to education for consideration at its 25th session.
Summary
The right to education has been recognized as a fundamental human right by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) and has been later codified by a number of legal instruments, the most recent being the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD). The right to education is as an example of the indivisibility and interdependence of all human rights due to its essential role in the full and effective realization of other human rights, both economic, social and cultural rights and civil and political rights. Such interrelation is clearly evident in the case of persons with disabilities, for instance, when ensuring that they obtain the same educational degrees in equal terms with others, as a prerequisite to their right to work or when guaranteeing that they can study in mainstream schools as a way of upholding their right to live in the community.
Article 24 of the CRPD reaffirms the right of persons with disabilities to education and requires States parties to realize this right without discrimination and on the basis of equal opportunities through ensuring an inclusive education system at all levels of education and life-long learning. In particular, States parties shall ensure that:
- persons with disabilities are not excluded from the general education system on the basis of disability and can access an inclusive, quality and free primary education and secondary education on an equal basis with others;
- reasonable accommodation for the individual�s requirement is provided;
- persons with disabilities receive the support required, including individualized support measures, to facilitate their effective education;
- persons with disabilities are enabled to acquire life and social development skills to facilitate their full and equal participation in education and in their communities, including the learning of Braille and sign language;
- professionals and staff who work at all levels of education are trained in disability awareness and the use of appropriate communication and educational techniques and schools employ teachers who are qualified in sign language and/or Braille;
- persons with disabilities have access to general tertiary education, vocational training, adult education and lifelong learning without discrimination and on an equal basis with others.
Inputs received
In preparation of the study, OHCHR invited States and relevant stakeholders to present submissions by transmitting a set of questions related to existing legislation, policies and practices regarding the right to education of persons with disabilities. As a result, OHCHR received the responses listed below.
Member States
- Permanent Mission of Argentina 1 | 2
- Permanent Mission of Armenia
- Permanent Mission of Australia
- Permanent Mission of Belarus
- Permanent Mission of Belgium
- Permanent Mission of Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Permanent Mission of Cambodia
- Permanent Mission of Cameroun
- Permanent Mission of Chile 1 | 2
- Permanent Mission of Colombia
- Permanent Mission of Cuba
- Permanent Mission of Czech Republic
- Permanent Mission of Ecuador
- Permanent Mission of Finland
- Permanent Mission of France
- Permanent Mission of Georgia 1 | 2
- Permanent Mission of Guatemala
- Permanent Mission of Guyana
- Permanent Mission of Ireland
- Permanent Mission of Jamaica
- Permanent Mission of Lebanon
- Permanent Mission of Lithuania
- Permanent Mission of Madagascar
- Permanent Mission of Malta
- Permanent Mission of Mauritius 1 | 2
- Permanent Mission of Mexico 1 | 2
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs - Mongolia | English translation
- Permanent Mission of Myanmar
- Permanent Mission of Nicaragua 1 | 2
- Minister of Education and Research of Norway 1 | 2
- Permanent Mission of Portugal
- Permanent Mission of Qatar
- Permanent Mission of Romania
- Permanent Mission of Russian Federation
- Minister of Foreign Affairs of Slovak Republic
- Permanent Mission of South Sudan
- Permanent Mission of Spain
- Permanent Mission of Sri Lanka
- Permanent Mission of Syria
- Permanent Mission of Ukraine 1 | 2
- Ministry of Social Affairs - United Arab Emirates
- Permanent Mission of United Arab Emirates 1 | 2
Intergovernmental Organizations
National Human Rights Institutions
- Defensoria del Pueblo � Ciudad Autonoma de Buenos Aires - Argentina
- Ombudsman of Azerbaijan
- Defensoria del Pueblo - Bolivia
- Defensoria del Pueblo - Colombia
- Defensor�a del Pueblo - Ecuador
- Procuradora para la Defensa de los Derechos Humanos de El Salvador
- Human Rights Center � Finland 1 | 2
- Commission Consultative des Droits de l'Homme - Duch� de Luxembourg
- Human Rights Commission - New Zealand
- Procuraduria para la Defensa de los Derechos Humanos-Nicaragua
- Defensoria del Pueblo - Peru
- National Commission for Human Rights - Rwanda 1 | 2
NGOs and Civil Society Organizations
- Bridge of Hope - Armenia
- National Council on Intellectual Disability 1 | 2 | 3
- Children with Disability Australia
- Ma�s Diferencas
- MDHAT
- Universidad de los Andes 1 | 2 | 3
- Finnish Disability Forum
- Finnish Association of the Deaf
- Vivre ensemble Hesse e.V.
- Deutscher Behindertenrat
- Bundesvereinigung Lebenshilfe e.V.
- World Blind Union (WBU)
- Education Above All
- Human Rights Watch
- World Federation of the Deaf
- Global Initiative to End All Corporal Punishment of Children
- International Catholic Child Bureau (ICCB/BICE)
- PLAN International
- Lao Association of the Blind
- Malaysian Child Resource Institute
- Pontificia Universidad Catolica - Peru
- University of Fordham
- Human Rights First Rwanda Association
- MARUAH
- University of the Western Cape
- Section27 - South Africa
- Attanayake, Lasanthi Daskon
- Amis des Etrangers au Togo : ADET
- SCOs of the disability field of the Republic of Moldova
- IDA - International Disability Alliance