The rights of people with disabilities and mechanisms of their protection at international, European and Russian levels

The number of people with disabilities has grown to 1 billion, i.e., 15% of the population of the whole world. Improvement of the position of disabled people and their life conditions is paid attention to at national, regional and international levels. The concept of the rights of people with disabilities has obtained international recognition only in the mid-1970s. In 1975 the Declaration on the Rights of Disabled Persons was adopted in the UN, it contains norms of maintenance of equal access to service. In 1981 the World Program of Action Concerning Disabled Persons was adopted. In 2006 the United Nations adopted the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the Optional Protocol. Absence of discrimination, involvement of disabled persons into society, equal opportunities are the core principles of the Convention. Monitoring of its implementation is realized by the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. The gender aspect has gotten a special place. Women with disabilities encounter double discrimination - violation of the rights of women and violation of the rights of people with disabilities. The European Union pursues an active policy on ensuring of the right of disabled persons. In 1999 the EU Council adopted a resolution, it appealed to the EU countries to intensify measures in the of employment of people with disabilities and their integration in private and public sector. The Council of Europe (СЕ) also pursues the policy of protection of the rights of disabled persons. In April 2006, the Council of Europe adopted a Disability Action Plan 2006-2015. Successful integration of disabled persons is observed in the countries of Western Europe. Legislations of these countries consist in the idea that rehabilitation and employment of disabled persons are more beneficial than payment of pensions. More than 13 million disabled persons live in Russia. Most of the laws concerning their rights have become outdated. Ratification of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities by Russia in 2012 has become an incentive to legislation improvement. In 2011 Russia approved the government program ''Accessible Environment'' that creates conditions for access of disabled persons to objects of social sphere. It is not being implemented very successfully. In the conclusion, one can say that it is difficult to influence the state at the international level if it does not provide a full realization and protection of the rights of disabled persons. But often international conventions boost formation of mechanisms of protection of their rights at the national level. The European Court of Human Rights makes a policy concerning disabled persons at the regional level be realized more effectively because they can make complaints when their rights are violated. One can still observe a low standard of living and weak social and legal protection of the people with disabilities in Russia although the government adopted the program ''Accessible Environment''.

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