(Part of a series on human rights and disability.)“Miss Lou” can’t think about anything but the global economic crisis and the U.S. presidential elections these days. Turns out, though, both are relevant for this series on disability human rights. Persons with disabilities, who already experience high rates of joblessness and poverty, will be further marginalized as federal and municipal governments tighten their belts and cut public programs.
But politicians who dismiss the rights and concerns of persons with disabilities do so at their own peril. There are more than 30 million PWD who are of voting age in the U.S. alone. For the U.S. presidential candidate positions on disabilities, see:
►Americans with Disabilities for McCain-Palin 2008
►Americans with Disabilities for Obama
Full disclosure: Miss Lou is a staunch Obama supporter. Both PWD and non-disabled persons must pressure candidates to maintain or increase their commitment to these issues during difficult economic times. 'Nuff said.
Resources on Disability in International Perspective
The following brief resource list is intended only as an eclectic starting point for those interested in learning more about disability in international legal perspective. It is by no means comprehensive; I encourage IntLawGrrls readers to add resources and citations in the comments section.
Michael Stein, Executive Director of the Harvard Project on Disability and Professor of Law, William and Mary School of Law (above left) is among the growing number of legal scholars who take an international perspective on disability issues. (See also upper right photo of Chai Feldblum, Professor of Law, Director, Federal Legislation and Administrative Clinic, Georgetown University Law Center,
a leading advocate who helped draft key U.S. federal legislation on disability, and middle right photo of Wendy Parmet, George J. and Kathleen Waters Matthews Distinguished University Professor of Law, Northeastern University, an expert on U.S. disability law and health law.) Many thanks to Northeastern University School of Law student Matthew Moore for his excellent research assistance.International Law and Disability
►Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and Optional Protocol, G.A. res. A/61/611 (2006)
►UN Enable
►UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, “Disability Rights”
►Disability Rights - International Library of Essays on Rights (P. Blanck, ed., Ashgate, 2005)
► Human Rights and Disability: The Current Use and Future Potential of United Nations Human Rights Instruments in the Context of Disability (Gerard Quinn & Theresia Degener, eds., Geneva, (2002))
►Wendy Scott, Guide to Sources in International and Comparative Disability Law, 34 Syracuse Journal of International Law & Commerce 621 (2007) ( special journal issue on international and comparative disability law) (See photo of Wendy Scott, Assistant Director for Faculty & Outreach Services and Adjunct Professor of Law, Syracuse University College of Law (bottom right))
►Michael Stein, Disability Human Rights, 95 California Law Review 75 (2007)
Africa
►African Decade of Disabled People (2001-2009)
The Americas
►Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990
►ADA Amendments Act of 2008
►Inter-American Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Persons With Disabilities, AG/RES. 1608, 7 June 1999
Asia-Pacific
►Asia-Pacific Forum of National Human Rights Institutions, “Now the real work starts: implementing the UN Disability Convention”
Europe
►European Human Rights Law and Disability – Critical Issues (Gerard Quinn and O. DeSchutter, eds. (2007)
NGO Resources
►Disability Rights Fund
►Human Rights Yes! Action and Advocacy on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, (Nancy Flowers, ed. 2007) (training manual)
►Mental Disability Rights International, “Resources”
►Rehabilitation International
►UN Enable, Non-governmental Organizations Accredited to the Ad Hoc Committee
University Resources
►American University, Washington College of Law, “The New UN Disability Rights Convention: Building Support in the United States for Ratification and Implementation” (April 9, 2007) (webcast)
►ArchiveADA (historical materials on ADA and ADA-AA maintained by the Georgetown University Law Center)
►Harvard Project on Disability, Harvard University
►Centre for Disability Law and Policy, National University of Ireland (Galway)
►Center on Human Policy, Law, and Disability Studies, Syracuse University College of Law, “International and Comparative Disability Law Web Resources” (comprehensive site)
►University of California, San Francisco, Disability Statistics Center, “Resources”
►University of Minnesota, Human Rights Law Library, "Rights of Disabled Persons"
Disability in Sport
►Center for the Study of Sport in Society, Northeastern University, “Disability in Sport”
►Human Rights Watch, “China: As Paralympics Launch: Disabled Face Discrimination”
►Paralympic Games (Beijing, China, September 2008)
►Elise C. Roy, Aiming for Inclusive Sport: the Legal and Practical Implications of the United Nation’s Disability Convention for Sport, Recreation and Leisure for People with Disabilities, Entertainment and Sports Law Journal (August 2007)
►Team Darfur
