Persons with disabilities are those who have 'long-term physical, mental, intellectual or sensory impairments which in interaction with various barriers may hinder their full and effective participation in society on an equal basis with others'.[1]
Disability is the outcome of the interaction between individuals with a health condition (e.g. cerebral palsy, Down syndrome or depression) and personal and environmental factors (e.g. negative attitudes, inaccessible transportation and public buildings, and limited social supports).
Disability inclusion refers to the 'meaningful participation of people with disability in all their diversity, the promotion and mainstreaming of their rights into the work of the Organization, the development of disability-specific programmes and the consideration of disability-related perspectives, in compliance with the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities'.[2]
Organizations of persons with disabilities (OPDs) are civil society organizations where the majority of staff, volunteers and members are persons with disabilities, and the organization is governed, led and directed by persons with disabilities. OPDs may be individual organizations and / or members of wider OPD coalitions and networks which often exist at national, regional, and global levels. OPDs may represent persons with different types of disabilities (sometimes termed cross-disability) or a specific community within the wider population of persons with disabilities, for example women with disabilities, children with disabilities or those with specific impairments. OPDs also include self-advocacy organizations, which oftentimes represent persons with intellectual disabilities, through locally formed networks and platforms, and may also involve family members. Organizations including family members and relatives of persons with disabilities play an important role in facilitating, promoting, and securing the interests and supporting the autonomy and active participation of their relatives with intellectual disabilities, dementia and/or children with disabilities. All such organizations should be committed to the principles and rights recognized in the CRPD.[3]
[1] UN General Assembly, Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities: resolution / adopted by the General Assembly, 24 January 2007, A/RES/61/106, art. 1.
[2] United Nations Disability Inclusion Strategy, p. 2.
[3] Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, General comment No. 7 on the participation of persons with disabilities, including children with disabilities, through their representative organizations, in the implementation and monitoring of the Convention, 9 November 2018, CRPD/G/GC/7.
