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Disability Rights Training Manual
By Andrea Shettle, MSW | July 7, 2008
The University of Minnesota Human Rights Resource Center has released a manual that people with disabilities can use to train themselves and their peers about their own human rights. The manual, entitled "Human Rights. YES!" (PDF format, 2.6 Mb) is based on the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD). Human Rights. YES! is designed to be used by people who are not necessarily experts in human rights, and can be used with as few as two or three participants.
People may download the manual in PDF format for free or purchase print copies from the University of Minnesota. People may reproduce any part of the manual they wish without permission for educational purposes only. But excerpted and adapted material must include a full source citation.
Part One, "Understanding Disability as a Human Right," provides an overview of who is responsible for human rights and quickly summarizes the international disability rights treaty (CRPD). It makes links between disability, human rights, and effective advocacy.
Part Two, "The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities," reviews the CRPD in much more detail. Each of the 17 chapters discusses one set of human rights covered in the CRPD. Each human right is explained in a simple way. The manual also suggests several participatory exercises that people can use to improve their understanding of their human rights and think constructively about how they can take action. Users can also read illustrative examples of advocacy strategies, helpful facts, and other information. People interested in learning more about a specific topic can consult a short list of additional resources at the end of each chapter.
The chapters in Part Two include: Equality and Non-discrimination; Accessibility; The Right to Participation in Political and Public Life; Freedom of Expression and Opinion; The Right to Life and Protection in Situations of Risk; Freedom from Torture and Other Forms of Abuse; Privacy, Integrity, Home, and the Family; The Right to Health; The Right to Habitation and Rehabilitation; The Right to Work; Living Independently and with Dignity in the Community; Access to Justice; The Right to Education; The Right to Participation in Sport and Culture; The Human Rights of Children with Disabilities; Non-discrimination and Equality for Women with Disabilities; and, The Rights of Other Populations.
Part Three, "Advocacy! Taking Action for the Human Rights of People with Disabilities" gives examples of how participants can take action in advocating for the human rights of people with disabilities.
The Annexes include the full text, plain-language text, and summary of both the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. The second annex gives tips on how to facilitate human rights education in an interactive way. It also gives some sample models for how a facilitator might wish to organize half-day or full-day training workshops.
Translations in French, Spanish, and Arabic are forthcoming and will be available from the University of Minnesota Human Rights Resource Center. Organizations interested in producing their own translations into other languages should contact the University of Minnesota at humanrts@umn.edu.
Learn more about the manual, download it for free, or find how to purchase it, by following the link to: http://www1.umn.edu/humanrts/edumat/hreduseries/TB6/index2.html Inquiries about the manual can also be directed to the University of Minnesota Human Rights Resource Center at humanrts@umn.edu. This summary was originally posted at the We Can Do blog and is cross-posted here with permission of author.
Topics: Disability Rights -- General, Teaching Tool |
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