Category: I’m A Person
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Bulgaria: Stefan Stankov continues his fight for independence
For 20 years, Stefan Stankov has been fighting for recognition as a person under the law. Sadly, his journey is one familiar to many people with psychosocial disabilities. Mr. Stankov was deprived of his legal capacity in 1999 and then institutionalised for 15 years. He lived in appalling conditions, isolated from the community and under…
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Hungary: Budapest Court confirms Government must release the names of public guardians on request
Topház Social Care Institution became widely known after Validity revealed the inhumane and horrific treatment of its residents in a 2017 report. 220 residents were subject to torture and ill-treatment in Topház. Children as well as adult residents were put in metal cage beds, routinely chemically and/or physically restrained, were underweight, and physically, mentally and emotionally neglected. Topház is a closed institution and almost all residents are placed under guardianship. Validity made several attempts to get access to victims in…
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Involuntary Detention and Treatment: European Court of Human Rights Rejects Request to Provide an Opinion on Interpretation of Oviedo Convention
The European Court of Human Rights has rejected a request from the Council of Europe’s Committee on Bioethics (DH-BIO) to provide an advisory opinion on questions related to involuntary treatment and involuntary detention of persons with psychosocial disabilities under Article 29 of the Oviedo Convention. DH-BIO’s request for an advisory opinion came in the midst…
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Hungary: Disability rights organisations address lack of respect for the rights of persons with disabilities through the UN’s Universal Periodic Review
Yesterday, Validity Foundation together with the Hungarian Autistic Society, the Hungarian Civil Liberties Union, the Living Independently in the Community Advocacy Group, and the Step by Step! Association submitted a shadow report to the Universal Periodic Review (UPR), an important human rights process conducted by the United Nations’ Human Rights Council. Validity also contributed to…
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COVID-19 Disability Rights Monitor Report highlights catastrophic global failure to protect the rights of persons with disabilities
Final report: Click here Easy-to-read summary of the final report: Click here In its final report, the COVID-19 Disability Rights Monitor (DRM) Coordinating Group calls for urgent action by States and the international community to halt the catastrophic failure to protect the lives, health and rights of persons with disabilities during the COVID-19 pandemic. The…
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Statement of the Coordinating Group of the COVID-19 Disability Rights Monitor at the Opening of the Twenty-Third Session of the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
in Article, Bangladesh, Belgium, Bosnia Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Canada, Czech Republic, France, Honduras, Hungary, I’m A Person, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Lithuania, Mexico, Moldova, Mozambique, My Home, My Choice, Namibia, Nepal, Nigeria, Philippines, Poland, Romania, Russia, Rwanda, Schools For All, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Switzerland, Uganda, Uncategorised, United Kingdom, USA, Zambia, ZimbabweAt the opening of the 23rd session of the CRPD Committee, on 17 August 2020, Validity’s Co-Executive Director, Steven Allen spoke on behalf of the COVID-19 Disability Rights Monitor Coordinating Group and shared some preliminary findings of the global survey, which was translated into 25 languages and received more than 2,100 responses from 134 countries.…
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Romanian Constitutional Court says plenary guardianship is unconstitutional
This month, the Constitutional Court of Romania declared that Article 164(1) of the Civil Code addressing ‘judicial interdiction’ for adults with disabilities is unconstitutional. Judicial interdiction is a legal term that is also known as ‘full guardianship’ or ‘plenary guardianship’ under which adults with disabilities are denied the right to make decisions about their own…
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‘I’m finally free!’: Moldovan courts quash guardianship order in favour of support
Following almost a decade of legal action, Natalia Sitova, our client from Moldova, achieved victory at the Chisinau Court of Appeal, in a claim to regain her autonomy which was discriminatorily restricted on the basis of her disability. “Natalia has always considered herself as able to act on her own behalf. She can, directly,…
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Launch of the COVID-19 Disability Rights Monitor Dashboard
Since 20 April 2020, through a global survey, the COVID-19 Disability Rights Monitor (DRM) has been gathering data to conduct rapid independent monitoring of state measures concerning persons with disabilities in the context of the pandemic. Today, the initiative reaches a new milestone with the launch of the COVID-19 DRM Dashboard that allows the public…
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Disability Rights During the Coronavirus Pandemic: Launch of the COVID-19 Disability Rights Monitor
Evidence is emerging that persons with disabilities are being disproportionately affected by the Coronavirus pandemic and emergency measures being taken by governments worldwide. As governments rush to respond to the virus, it is more critical than ever to guarantee that measures taken are fully inclusive of persons with disabilities and prevent human rights violations from…