Human Rights for People with Disabilities. A Librarian at Every Table. No. 313.

On 20 April 2004, the Commission on Human Rights adopted a new resolution “HUMAN RIGHTS OF PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES”

The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner on Human Rights report provides background for action.

Human Rights and Disability



The rights-based approach to disability essentially means viewing persons with disabilities as subjects of law. Its final aim is to empower disabled persons, and to ensure their active participation in political, economic, social, and cultural life in a way that is respectful and accommodating of their difference.

Established in 1993, Mental Disability Rights International (MDRI) documents conditions, publishes reports on human rights enforcement, and promotes international oversight of the rights of people with mental disabilities. Drawing on the skills and experience of attorneys, mental health professionals, human rights advocates, people with mental disabilities and their family members, MDRI trains and supports advocates seeking legal and service system reform and assists governments to develop laws and policies to promote community integration and human rights enforcement for people with mental disabilities.

Please see here: Library Services for People with Disabilities Policy