The Orthopedics Department of Saad Specialist Hospital in Alkhobar has been handing out a brochure titled, “Our Abilities Have No Limits: Disabled Persons’ Rights and Opportunities.” The brochure highlights the rights of the disabled according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.
It might be thought that with a local hospital distributing such a brochure, Saudi Arabia would have signed or even ratified the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities - but that isn’t true. Sadly, Saudi Arabia hasn’t made any move to adopt this new global treaty despite the fact that at least four percent of the Kingdom’s population is disabled.
The global treaty on disability rights will take effect on May 3. Details about the new treaty are available through: www.un.org/disabilities/. Some 127 countries have signed the Convention since March 30, 2007 and 71 have signed the related Optional Protocol. It is estimated that there are at least 650 million people with disabilities worldwide, of whom approximately 80 percent live in less developed countries.
For the Convention to come into force, it had to be ratified by 20 nations. In a statement the UN said, “The Convention will be a powerful tool to eradicate the obstacles faced by persons with disabilities.” The disabled suffer from discrimination, segregation from society, economic marginalization, and a lack of opportunities for participation in social, political and economic decision-making processes. According to the UN Focal Point on Disability Akiko Ito, as many as two-thirds of United Nations Member States do not have any legal protection for people with disabilities, even though these individuals comprise ten percent of the global population.
While Saudi Arabia has lagged in supporting the Convention, other Arab States have not hesitated to take the lead. Jordan and Tunisia have ratified both the Convention and Optional Protocol. Algeria, Qatar, the UAE and Yemen have signed both the Convention and Optional Protocol. Arab world signatories to the Convention alone, include Bahrain, Egypt, Morocco, Oman and Syria. Twenty UN departments, agencies, programs and funds have also pledged their support to implementing the Convention.
Progress toward moving the Convention into force has been relatively quick and has been attributed to the strong commitment of the UN’s Member States, as well as to advocacy by the global disability movement, which was instrumental in drafting the pact. The Convention seeks to “ensure that people with disabilities enjoy the universal human rights that everyone else does in their respective societies.” The Convention provides that states which ratify it must enact laws and other measures to improve disability rights and also abolish legislation, customs and practices that discriminate against people with disabilities.
With this new global treaty about to come into law, there will be advancements in opportunities for the disabled. Keeping that in mind, on April 21, a joint ITU and G3ict Forum will be held in Geneva under the theme, “The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities: Challenges and Opportunities for ICT Standards.” The new treaty includes a number of detailed mandates related to accessible and assistive information and communication technologies (ICTs).
Today, ICT devices such as personal computers, fixed and mobile telephones and television are widespread, with over one billion people, globally, having access to the Internet. An increasing number of applications and services for e-commerce, e-government, transportation, public services, health services, cultural life and leisure are delivered electronically. However many of these services are developed without consideration for the needs of those with disabilities.
The Forum will explore the likely impact of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities on the evolution of ICT standards. The meetings will review and document the areas of standardization which match the mandates of the Convention and explore critical gaps. Learn more about it at: www.itu.int/ITU-T/worksem/accessibility/200804/index.html.
