Disability rights

Amber Mers Auteur Jeroen Meulenbrugge Auteur Manon Gerber Auteur Fleur Alards Auteur Team -- The Transdisciplinary Global Health Challenge Auteur +3 +2

Access to adequate healthcare is a human right. However, people with disabilities often require
additional support to meet their needs, which are frequently overlooked, putting them at a disadvantage in
society.

Despite legal advancements and commitments to the (United Nations) Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities (CRPD), implementation of disability rights remains weak in 34 countries across six continents (UNPRPD, 2024).

One country where there is a significant misalignment between the rights of people with disabilities and the duties and responsibilities of the healthcare and legal system, is India. The World Bank estimates that there are 50-80 million people living with disability in India.

During this project, we work together with the India-based organization Together We Can, that acts as an advocacy group focusing on the rights of disabled people in India. In particular, we will look at the rights of school-children and the inclusivity in decision-making. Parents and caretakers possess significant experiential knowledge that is essential to incorporate into policy making, healthcare and educational settings to ensure their child's needs are met in creating adequate support mechanisms