This oral statement was broadcasted at the 54th Session of the Human Rights Council Annual interactive debate on the rights of persons with disabilities. Click here to watch the video statement.
I am Niluka Gunawardena and I am making this statement on behalf of the Asian-Pacific Resource and Research Centre for Women (ARROW). As persons with disabilities and organisations working with persons with disabilities, to ensure comprehensive intersectional support systems, we recommend Member States:
- to enhance State facilitated establishments for early detection and support centers for children with disabilities, community modifications to promote inclusive environments enabling individuals to remain within communities.
- to adopt policies to ensure strong care ethics and dignity of care , especially care around sexual and reproductive health (SRH) which is partly determined by the support available to access to services, legal remedies and justice.
- organizations working with persons with disabilities, on their sexual and reproductive health are strengthened, more collective care mechanisms are adopted alongside building capacities of persons with disabilities as they themselves are also caregivers.
- to ensure the implementation of Article 23 of the UNCRPD on respect for home and family , making provisions for accessible information, around comprehensive sexuality education (CSE).
- to ensure that persons with disabilities have access to dignified, rights-based support and care that center their needs and interests as it is vital to the agency, choice and control exercised by persons with disabilities.
Thank you.
