Explained: The UN’s guidelines on access to social justice for people with disabilities

News: United Nations has released the “International Principles and Guidelines on Access to Justice for Persons with Disabilities”.

Facts:

• Aim: To dismantle barriers blocking people with disabilities from access to justice.
• What does the Guidelines provide? The guidelines outline 10 principles of access to justice for people with disabilities such as people with disabilities have the right to participate in the administration of justice on an equal basis with others and detailed steps for implementation. 

Additional Facts:

• UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities: It was adopted in 2007 as the first major instrument of human rights in the 21st century.
  • It defines persons with disabilities as those who have long-term physical, mental, intellectual or sensory impairments which in interaction with various barriers may hinder their full and effective participation in society on an equal basis with others.
• International Disability Alliance: It was created in 2009 as an alliance of eight global and six regional organisations of persons with disabilities.
  • Purpose: They advocate at the UN for a more inclusive global environment for persons with disabilities and their organisations. 
  • Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland
• Accessible India campaign: It is a nation-wide Campaign launched by the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities(DEPwD) of the Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment in 2015.
  • Aim: To provide universal accessibility to persons with disabilities with focus on developing an accessible physical environment, transportation system and Information & communication ecosystem.
• Article 41 of the Directive Principles of State policy(DPSP): It provide that State shall within the limits of its economic capacity and development make effective provision for securing the right to work to educa­tion and to public assistance in cases of unemployment, old age, sickness and disablement.