Convention on the Rights Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilitiesof Persons with Disabilities

Education and the new conventionEducation and the new conventionBy Alberto NinioBy Alberto Ninio

ContentsContents

Overview of education-relevant Overview of education-relevant articles in CRPD (Article 24 and articles in CRPD (Article 24 and related articles) related articles)

Relevance for programmes and Relevance for programmes and policies of development actorspolicies of development actors

CRPD articles relevant CRPD articles relevant to educationto education Article 24Article 24

– Emphasis on inclusive education (rather than Emphasis on inclusive education (rather than separate or segregated education)separate or segregated education)

– No discrimination in access to inclusive No discrimination in access to inclusive educationeducation

– Provision of reasonable accommodation & Provision of reasonable accommodation & education supports to facilitate inclusioneducation supports to facilitate inclusion

– Facilitate learning of Braille, sign language, Facilitate learning of Braille, sign language, and Deaf cultureand Deaf culture

– Provision of teacher training to support Provision of teacher training to support effective implementationeffective implementation

– Employment of teachers with disabilitiesEmployment of teachers with disabilities

CRPD articles relevant CRPD articles relevant to education contd.to education contd. Article 3 (General principles)Article 3 (General principles) Article 4 (General obligations)Article 4 (General obligations) Article 5 (Equality and non-discrimination)Article 5 (Equality and non-discrimination) Article 6 (Women with disabilities)Article 6 (Women with disabilities) Article 7 (Children with disabilities)Article 7 (Children with disabilities) Article 8 (Awareness-raising)Article 8 (Awareness-raising) Article 9 (Accessibility)Article 9 (Accessibility) Articles addressing other rights that can affect Articles addressing other rights that can affect

access to education, e.g. health, liberty of access to education, e.g. health, liberty of movement, right to work etc.movement, right to work etc.

Relevance for Relevance for development actorsdevelopment actors Access to quality education is a pre-Access to quality education is a pre-

requisite for successful development - requisite for successful development - MDG “EFA”MDG “EFA”

Disabled people have far less access to Disabled people have far less access to education than non-disabled education than non-disabled counterpartscounterparts

Many client countries will request Many client countries will request assistance:assistance:– Making educational spaces, materials and curricula

accessible and inclusive– Removing legislative barriers to inclusion of disabled

people in educational settings

Relevance for Relevance for development actors development actors contd.contd.

Implications for education practitioners involved:– Inclusive education policies – Design & implementation of inclusive

education projects Due diligence

– Compliance with domestic frameworks– Compliance with CRPD benchmarks