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The right of persons with disabilities to social protection – Call for submissions

Written by DRPI on .

Questions in French and Spanish (Word)

The Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities, Catalina Devandas-Aguilar, is currently preparing a study to be presented at the 70th session of the General Assembly, in October 2015, on the right of persons with disabilities to social protection.

The Special Rapporteur welcomes inputs, in accessible formats, in English, French or Spanish, from Member States, international and regional organizations, UN agencies, funds and programmes, organizations of and for persons with disabilities, civil society, national human rights institutions and other national independent mechanisms designated or established to monitor the implementation of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, disability or equality Ombudspersons, scholars, research institutions and policy think tanks, private sector businesses and networks, community movements, and private individuals, to provide information about the right of persons with disabilities to social protection.

Submissions should be sent by e-mail to the address sr.disability@ohchr.org no later than 20 May 2015. Concise responses are encouraged, inclusive of relevant attachments where available.

Additional information – such as copies of relevant laws, policies, programme outlines, evaluations, and any other information relevant for the topic – would also be welcome. Kindly indicate if you have any objections with regard to your reply being posted on this website.

Specific information request:

1. Please provide information in relation to the existence of legislation and policies concerning mainstream and/or specific social protection programmes with regard to persons with disabilities, including:

  • Institutional framework in charge of its implementation;
  • Legislative, administrative, judiciary and/or other measures aiming to ensure access of persons with disabilities to mainstream social protection programmes (e.g., poverty reduction, social insurance, health care, public work, housing);
  • Creation of disability-specific programmes (such as disability pensions, mobility grants or others);
  • Fiscal adjustments or other similar measures.

2. Please provide information on how persons with disabilities are consulted and actively involved in the design, implementation and monitoring of social protection programmes.

3. Please provide information in relation to difficulties and good practices on the design, implementation and monitoring of mainstream and/or specific social protection programmes with regard to persons with disabilities, including:

  • Conditions of accessibility and the provision of reasonable accommodation;
  • Consideration of the specific needs of persons with disabilities within the services and/or benefits of existing programmes;
  • Difficulties experienced by persons with disabilities and their families in fulfilling requirements and/or conditions for accessing social protection programmes;
  • Consideration to age, gender and race or ethnic-based differences and possible barriers;
  • Conflicts between the requirements and/or benefits of existing programmes, and the exercise by persons with disabilities of rights such as the enjoyment of legal capacity, living independently and being included in the community, or work;
  • Allocation of grants to personal budgets;
  • Disability-sensitive training and awareness-raising for civil servants and/or external partners;
  • Existence of complaint or appeal mechanisms.

4. Please provide any information or data available, disaggregated by impairment, sex, age or ethnic origin if possible, in relation to:

  • Coverage of social protection programmes by persons with disabilities;
  • Rates of poverty among persons with disabilities;
  • Additional costs or expenses related to disability.

5. Please provide information in relation to the eligibility criteria used for accessing mainstream and/or specific social protection programmes with regard to persons with disabilities, including:Definition of disability and disability assessments used for eligibility determination;

  • Consistency of the eligibility criteria among different social protection programmes;
  • Use of income and/or poverty thresholds;
  • Consideration of disability-related extra costs in means-tested thresholds.