1 Convention Text
1.1 States Parties recognise the right of persons with disabilities to an
adequate standard of living for themselves and their families, including
adequate food, clothing and housing, and to the continuous improvement of living
conditions, and shall take appropriate steps to safeguard and promote the
realisation of this right without discrimination on the basis of disability. R1
1.2 States Parties recognise the right of persons with disabilities to social
protection and to the enjoyment of that right without discrimination on the
basis of disability, and shall take appropriate steps to safeguard and promote
the realisation of this right, including measures:
(a) To ensure equal access by persons with disabilities to clean water services,
and to ensure access to appropriate and affordable services, devices and other
assistance for disability-related needs; R1
(b) To ensure access by persons with disabilities, in particular women and girls
with disabilities and older persons with disabilities, to social protection
programmes and poverty reduction programmes; R1
(c) To ensure access by persons with disabilities and their families living in
situations of poverty to assistance from the State with disability-related
expenses, including adequate training, counselling, financial assistance and
respite care; R1
(d) To ensure access by persons with disabilities to public housing programmes;
R2
(e) To ensure equal access by persons with disabilities to retirement benefits
and programmes.
2 Declaration of Needs and Characteristics
2.1 Blind and partially-sighted people experience information, communication,
daily living, mobility, education, social, vocational, leisure and recreational
barriers. They require services, assistance and devices to overcome these
barriers to be enabled to lead inclusive lives in the community. The nature and
extent of the facilities and support required will depend upon factors such as
age, lifestyle, extent of visual loss, role and status in family and community.
The assistance required is likely to include personal assistance to maintain
domestic hygiene, access to information, to adapt equipment and personal
environments, to identify personal effects, to read printed and interpret
graphical material, to correspond and to travel.
2.2 Blind and partially-sighted people are less likely to be employed; a
disproportionately high number consequently live in poverty. Blind and
partially-sighted people require equipment and have to pay for personal
assistance to overcome the disabling impact of visual loss. Blind and
partially-sighted people must be compensated for the additional costs that arise
from visual loss. This compensation must be available regardless of individuals'
financial status. Blind and partially-sighted people must also receive statutory
personal financial assistance that is required to prevent poverty and provide
social protection.
2.3 To travel independently, blind and partially-sighted people either have to
walk or use public transport, for example to access educational facilities,
places of work, cultural and social amenities. The public/social housing
allocated to blind and partially-sighted people and their families therefore
needs to be in locations that has access to public transport and amenities.
3 Important Aspects of Convention Text
3.1 Convention text - R1 1. States Parties recognise the right of persons with
disabilities to an adequate standard of living for themselves and their
families, including adequate food, clothing and housing, and to the continuous
improvement of living conditions, and shall take appropriate steps to safeguard
and promote the realisation of this right without discrimination on the basis of
disability.
2. States Parties recognise the right of persons with disabilities to social
protection and to the enjoyment of that right without discrimination on the
basis of disability, and shall take appropriate steps to safeguard and promote
the realisation of this right, including measures:
(a) To ensure equal access by persons with disabilities to clean water services,
and to ensure access to appropriate and affordable services, devices and other
assistance for disability-related needs;
(b) To ensure access by persons with disabilities, in particular women and girls
with disabilities and older persons with disabilities, to social protection
programmes and poverty reduction programmes;
(c) To ensure access by persons with disabilities and their families living in
situations of poverty to assistance from the State with disability-related
expenses, including adequate training, counselling, financial assistance and
respite care.
3.2 Requirement - Blind and partially-sighted people must be provided with
assistance including personal assistance to access information, adapt equipment
and personal environments, identify personal effects, read printed and interpret
graphical material, correspond and travel.
3.3 Requirement - All blind and partially-sighted people, regardless of
individual financial status, must be compensated for the additional costs
incurred for tasks that have to be undertaken that require the use of sight.
3.4 Requirement - Blind and partially-sighted people must receive statutory
financial assistance to prevent poverty and provide social protection. Failure
to provide compensation for the consequential costs of visual disability and
also to prevent poverty constitutes discrimination.
3.5 Convention text - R2 (d) To ensure access by persons with disabilities to
public housing programmes.
3.6 Requirement - The public/social housing allocated to blind and
partially-sighted people and their families must be in locations that enable
blind and partially-sighted people to independently access public transport and
local amenities.
TA
20/12/07