WHY ARE HUMAN RIGHTS IMPORTANT FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES?

By Ken Masson, President, Rotary Club of World Disability Advocacy

 

Human Rights for people with disabilities begin with supporting each person’s right to dignity, respect, and quality of life. These should be given rights for everyone, but for many generations, these rights have been denied people simply because they have disabilities. And the denial is based on the attitude of society which often views people with disabilities as inferior to people without disabilities.

 

All Accomplishments Are Important

 

Even people with disabilities who are successful in academic and business activities often are not as respected as the same successful non-disabled individuals. It is a reality of history. Yet because it has always been that way, does not make it acceptable or something to be written off by comments like “that’s life.”

For the advocates, the battle to change these attitudes should never be viewed as a losing battle but rather as a never-ending battle that often celebrates small accomplishments as well as big ones. Getting ADA passed in the United States was a major accomplishment that was celebrated but then too getting a local organizations to turn on closed captions for virtual meetings should also have its cheers.

 

Human Rights Are Basic Rights

 

For people with disabilities, human rights include accessibility and inclusion as well as the rights to have a job, equal education, being provided accommodations for activities that should be normal in everyone’s life. It also involves being respected as a person, sharing an equal position in every event, being understood as different but never weird, being recognized for contributions rather than viewed as a burden, and so much more.

 

Advocacy Is Not Charitable Work

 

Unfortunately, there are some areas of society that see advocating for people with disabilities as something to feel good about or something to expect a pat on the back for doing.   Advocating for the human rights of people with disabilities is not charitable work It is the work of those who genuinely believe that there are wrongs that need to be righted and that people with disabilities are equals to everyone in all aspects of life.

 

The Best Time for Progress Is Always Now

 

There are many organizations that are true advocates for people with disabilities. These include the Rotary Club of World Disability Advocacy. These organizations and their people believe that the status quo will never be acceptable, that every barrier presents opportunities for change, and that the best time for progress is always now.

 

For more information on the Rotary Club for Disability Advocacy write to rotarywda@gmail.com