In the present report, submitted to the Human Rights Council pursuant to Council resolution 44/10, the Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities provides an overview of the activities undertaken in 2022, and presents a thematic study on reimagining services in the twenty-first century to give effect to the right of persons with disabilities to live independently and be included in the community.
In his study, the Special Rapporteur outlines how traditional service and support models often perpetuate dependency and lack of agency by focusing on impairments and considering persons with disabilities as passive recipients of care. This approach is at odds with the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, which is grounded in personhood, autonomy and community inclusion. Against this backdrop, he argues that a wholly new philosophy of service and support is emerging and requires clearer articulation in law and policy. He elaborates on the wide range of policy tools at the disposal of States to do so, while highlighting key policy challenges and pointing to the potential of the business sector to be an actor for change. The Special Rapporteur then provides conclusions and recommendations on the ways in which different actors should advance the transformation of services and support for persons with disabilities.
