New York - The United Nations human rights chief today called for  promoting the employment
of persons with disabilities and removing the  obstacles that impede them from
working on an equal basis with others.

“The right to work is a fundamental human right that is  inseparable from human
dignity,” said High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi  Pillay. “Not only does
it provide individuals with the means to make a living  and support their
families; insofar as work is freely chosen or accepted, it  contributes to their
development and recognition within their communities.

“Work carries no less meaning to persons with disabilities,”  she told the Human
Rights Council in Geneva,  as it held its annual discussion on human rights and
persons with disabilities.

Ms. Pillay noted that when the Convention on the Rights of  Persons with
Disabilities was adopted in 2006, it embodied an “important shift”  in the way
that the global community viewed persons with disabilities.

“Prior to this, they had been regarded as mere recipients of  charity, goodwill
or medical care,” she said. “The Convention challenges these  perspectives,
establishing that persons with disabilities are holders of human  rights on an
equal basis with others.”

A study prepared by the High Commissioner’s office (OHCHR)  highlights good
practices in promoting employment opportunities for persons  with disabilities;
delves into the barriers faced; and identifies the main  challenges that States
encounter in ensuring that persons with disabilities  enjoy access to, retention
of and advancement in employment on an equal basis  with others.

Ms. Pillay outlined three barriers that often confront  persons with
disabilities, beginning with the fact that many workplaces  continue to be
inaccessible to persons with disabilities – be it in terms of  physical access,
or via attitudes that create barriers to equal participation.

“Persons with disabilities are often seen as incapable of  carrying out tasks
required in the labour market, or better off in protected  environments such as
sheltered workshops. Efforts to promote employment of  persons with disabilities
often focus on creating jobs in separate settings,  and fail to respect the
Convention’s underlying principle of inclusion,” she  stated.

“It is imperative that States move away from sheltered  employment schemes and
instead, actively promote opportunities for persons with  disabilities to gain a
living by work freely chosen or accepted, in a labour  market which is open,
inclusive and accessible to persons with disabilities.”

Another major barrier preventing persons with disabilities  from enjoying the
right to work is lack of access to education and training in  relevant skills.

“In line with the Convention, we must ensure that persons  with disabilities are
able to take part in vocational training programmes that  are non-discriminatory
and that promote equality of opportunity as well as  concrete outcome,” Ms.
Pillay stressed.

A third barrier, she noted, is created through the lack of  meaningful
involvement of persons with disabilities in the development of  legislation and
policies related to their training and employment.

“Drawing upon the Convention’s essential pillar of full and  effective
participation, I call for capacity development of representative  organisations
of persons with disabilities to effectively take part in  negotiations on their
behalf.”

Ms. Pillay voiced confidence that the Council’s discussions  will result in
identifying practical steps that everyone – States, the private  sector, civil
society, UN entities, and others – can take to continue promoting  the work and
employment of persons with disabilities, in line with the  Convention.

“In this critical time of building a global development  agenda beyond 2015 that
is firmly anchored in human rights, our joint efforts  are more important than
ever,” she stated.