PART 4:
LEARNING ABOUT HUMAN RIGHTS
Section 3:
Learning Exercises for Part 2
The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
EXERCISES FOR CHAPTER 4:
FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION AND OPINION
EXERCISE 4.1:
Enjoying the Right to Freedom of Expression and Opinion
Objective: To understand what it means to enjoy the right to freedom of expression and opinion
Time: 30 minutes
Materials: Chart paper and markers or blackboard and chalk
1. Brainstorm/Discuss:
Think about the typical life activities that persons in your community undertake. List these activities. (Save this list for further use in Exercise 4.2 and 4.3).
2. Analyze:
· Examine this list of life activities and list participants’ responses to the following questions:
o In which instances do persons with disabilities need access to information in order to participate fully?
o What kind of information do they need?
o Who is responsible for providing it?
o In which instances do persons with disabilities need to be able to develop and communicate opinions in order to participate fully?
o What different methods of communication can you think of that persons with disabilities might use?
3. Prioritize:
a. Divide participants into small groups. Ask them to look at the list of needs identified in the Step 2 analysis and decide on the five most important needs of persons with disabilities in order to enjoy the right to expression and opinion.
b. Bring the group back together and ask them to share and compare their prioritized lists. Combine these lists to form a list that everyone can agree upon.
c. Explain that this is a first step in the process of advocacy planning for the right to expression and opinion. Encourage participants to keep their prioritized lists for later use.
EXERCISE 4.2:
Understanding Barriers to Freedom of Expression and Opinion
Objective: To identify barriers to freedom of expression and opinion faced by persons with disabilities
Time: 40 minutes
Materials: List of life activities generated in Exercise 4.1
1. Analyze:
Using the list of life activities generated in Exercise 4.1, ask each participant (or pair of participants) to choose one activity from the list and to evaluate the barriers persons with disabilities might face in either accessing information or expressing their thoughts, opinions, and preferences when they participate in that activity.
2. Report:
Ask each participant or pair to report on their analysis of the barriers a person with disabilities might face in accessing information and/or expressing and communicating their opinions when they participate in that particular life activity.
3. Discuss:
· What are the consequences when persons with disabilities are excluded from accessing or imparting information in the life activities examined?
o To the person with a disability?
o To society as a whole?
· Which barriers have the greatest effect on persons with disabilities?
· What can be done to eliminate these most significant barriers to accessing or imparting information?
EXERCISE 4.3:
Understanding Freedom of Expression and Opinion
Objective: To review and understand the CRPD provisions for freedom of expression and opinion
Time: 45 minutes
Materials: Chart paper and markers or blackboard and chalk; copies of CRPD Article 21
1. Review:
Divide the participants into small groups. Ask each group to work together to discuss one of the sections of Article 21, Freedom of expression and opinion and access to information.
· What does each section require?
· Who is responsible to meet this requirement?
· What challenges might there be to implementation?
· How can these challenges be overcome?
2. Report:
Have one representative for each group report on the outcomes of their discussion.
3. Give examples:
Ask for examples of how each of the provisions of Article 21 could be applied to the real life examples listed and discussed in Exercise 4.1 and 4.2.
4. Discuss:
• How can Article 21 of the CRPD be used to set national disability rights agendas and formulate platforms of action for submission to political parties or government decision makers?
• What would it mean for persons with disabilities if the CRPD were realized in your country?
THE RIGHT TO LIFE
AND PROTECTION IN SITUATIONS OF RISK
Objective: To understand threats to the right to life of persons with disabilities
Time: 30 minutes
Materials: Chart paper and markers or blackboard and chalk
1. Introduce:
Explain that persons with disabilities face many threats to their lives, not necessarily from their disability, but because of the negative attitudes and stigma that others associate with disability in some societies. These threats may include the dangers of living in institutions, decisions made by the medical profession, social attitudes, and public policies like eugenics. Furthermore, explain how poverty may also threaten their quality of life and health, along with armed conflict or natural disaster.
2. Discuss:
Divide participants into pairs and ask each pair to:
· Share some examples from their own experiences or the experiences of people in their communities of such dangers to survival;
· Try to explain the cause of such threats to the survival of persons with disabilities; and
· Refer to text box “Barriers to the Enjoyment of the Rights to Life” in Part 2, Chapter 5, or formulate a new list from participant responses.
3. Report:
Ask each pair to report the causes they recognized for such threats to life. List these on a chart/ blackboard as they are reported. Discuss.
· Can these causes be grouped into categories (for example, poverty, cultural or societal attitudes, medical decisions, or public policies)?
· What actions could be taken to address these causes and protect the right to life of persons with disabilities? Are there preventive measures that may be taken to reduce life-threatening situations? Are there advocacy strategies that might help?
EXERCISE 5.2:
What Rights to Life and Protection in Situations of Risk Does the CRPD Affirm?
Objective: To review and understand Articles 10 and 11
Time: 30 minutes
Materials: Chart paper and markers or blackboard and chalk; copies of CRPD Articles 10 and 11
1. Review:
Assign either CRPD Article 10, Right to life, or Article 11, Situations of risk and humanitarian emergencies, to small groups of participants. Ask each group to discuss and paraphrase its article in common language and give some examples of how that right could be enjoyed and make a difference for persons with disabilities.
2. Paraphrase/Give Examples:
Read each section of Articles 10 and 11 aloud and ask the assigned group to give their paraphrase. Discuss the meaning of the section until everyone can agree on a paraphrase. Especially ask:
· What does “inherent” mean?
· What might “necessary measures” refer to in each article?
· Ask for examples of armed conflict, humanitarian emergencies, and natural disasters, focusing on those experienced by the disability community.
Write the final paraphrase of Articles 10 and 11 on chart paper and read them aloud. After each section, ask for examples of how that right could be enjoyed and make a difference for persons with disabilities. What “necessary measures” might be implemented by States to ensure the right to life and protection in situations of risk? Encourage participants to be as specific as possible.
3. Discuss:
· How can Articles 10 and 11 of the CRPD be used to set national disability rights agendas and formulate platforms of action for submission to political parties or government decision makers?
· What types of actors might disabled people’s organizations (DPOs) target for advocacy around the right to life and protection in situations of risk (for example, Ministries of Health, humanitarian and disaster assistance organizations, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees)?
EXERCISE 5.3:
Advocating for Community-Based Living
Objective: To consider strategies for addressing threats to the right to life of persons with disabilities living in institutions and conducting advocacy on community-based living
Time: 30 minutes
Materials: Chart paper and markers or blackboard and chalk
1. Introduce:
Explain that persons with disabilities in many parts of the world are still housed in large-scale institutions and that community-based living is still a new phenomenon in many places. Disability groups, such as Disability Rights International in the USA and the Mental Disability Advocacy Center in Hungary, are working to expose abuses in institutional settings and promote community-based living.
2. Discuss:
Divide participants into pairs and ask them to:
· Share examples of situations in their own community/country/region where persons with disabilities are not being provided with the opportunity to live in the community;
· Identify threats to the life and survival of persons with disabilities living in institutions; and
· Identify the barriers that continue to prevent persons with disabilities from living in the community.
3. Report:
Ask each pair to report on the situations identified, the threats to life/survival, and the barriers that prevent community living. List these on the chart as they are reported.
· What actions could be taken to address these issues and protect the right to life of persons with disabilities?
· What type of advocacy might be most effective (for example, education, dialogue, documenting and reporting, media campaigning, court action)?
· Who needs to be informed in order to take action?
EXERCISE 5.4:
Persons with Disabilities in Situations of Risk
Objective: To consider the needs of persons with disabilities in natural disasters and identify strategies to enhance their protection in emergency preparedness
Time: 45 minutes
Materials: Chart paper and markers or blackboard and chalk (optional)
1. Brainstorm:
Ask participants to identify natural disasters that can take place in their community (for example, flooding, blizzard, tornado, hurricane, earthquake). List these. Ask the group to create three profiles of persons with disabilities in their communities. Encourage diverse profiles, including different ages, disabilities (including psychosocial and intellectual disabilities), ethnic minority status, and living arrangements (for example, living alone, in an institution, with family). Collect the profiles and select a diverse sample to use in role-plays.
2. Imagine:
Divide participants into small groups and give each group a profile with these instructions:
· Choose one of the typical disasters identified in Step 1 and discuss the many problems that might arise for the community (for example, loss of electricity, gas or water, loss of most forms of communication, loss of means of transportation, inability to meet basic needs such as food, water, shelter, latrines, and health care services)? Then discuss the particular problems that persons with disabilities might experience during these crises and in relation to the challenges that the community is experiencing (for example, loss of assistance devices, such as artificial limbs, crutches, hearing aids, eye glasses, inaccessible means of communication, physical barriers). Discuss ways in which persons playing support roles during an emergency could effectively provide assistance to persons with disabilities during emergency situations (for example, family member, neighbour, police, relief worker, medical personnel).
3. Present:
Ask each group to present its scenario. Afterward, ask the audience for feedback:
· What kinds of responses were or would have been helpful in this situation?
· What kinds of responses were or would have been unhelpful?
4. Discuss:
Emphasize that although persons with disabilities have a human right to life and that States must take specific measures to ensure their protection and safety in emergencies, the needs of persons with disabilities are often overlooked in real crises or situations of armed conflict.
· What can be done to ensure protection of this right?
· Who is responsible to see that this protection is provided?
· Does your community have a disaster preparedness plan?
· Does it include such protections? What can you do to help first responders and aid workers to better include disability issues in their work?
Optional: Have each group present a disaster preparedness plan that takes into account the needs of persons with disabilities or a checklist of tips for humanitarian organizations.
EXERCISES FOR CHAPTER 6:
FREEDOM FROM TORTURE AND OTHER FORMS OF ABUSE
EXERCISE 6.1:
The Effects of Violence on Persons with Disabilities
Objective: To understand the effects of violence on different populations of persons with disabilities.
Time: 30 minutes
Materials: Chart paper and markers or blackboard and chalk
1. Introduce:
Explain that persons with disabilities are not at risk of violence and abuse because of their disabilities, but because of the actions of abusing individuals in society. Violence and abuse may affect different populations of persons with disabilities differently. These differences must be taken into consideration when designing violence and abuse prevention programmes.
2. Brainstorm:
Divide participants into small groups and ask them to do the following:
· List different populations of persons with disabilities (for example, women, children and teenagers, sexual minorities, men, elders, refugees, internally displaced persons) and kinds of disability (for example, visual, mobility, hearing, intellectual, psychosocial).
· Provide examples of how violence and abuse may impact different populations.
Note to Facilitator: Save this list for use in Exercise 6.3.
3. Report:
Ask a spokesperson from each group to report their findings. List these on a chart like that below. When the first two columns are complete, ask participants to identify challenges to addressing violence and abuse against each different group. Write the responses in the third column.
4. Analyze:
Ask participants to consider the following based on their initial discussion:
· What actions could be taken to address violence and abuse prevention?
· Who must be involved in order for prevention to be effective?
CHALLENGES TO ADDRESSING
THIS VIOLENCE
Source: Adapted from Marsha Saxton, The Impact of Violence on People with Disabilities, World Institute on Disability: http://www.wid.org
EXERCISE 6.2:
What Rights to Freedom from Torture and Other Forms of Abuse does the CRPD Affirm?
Objective: To review and understand CRPD Articles 15 and 16
Time: 30 minutes
Materials: Chart paper and markers or blackboard and chalk; copies of CRPD Articles 15 and 16
1. Review:
Assign different parts of CRPD Articles 15, Freedom from torture or cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, and Article 16, Freedom from exploitation, violence and abuse, to small groups of participants (you may wish to divide Article 16 into four parts). Ask them to work together to paraphrase their section in common language and give some examples of how that right could be enjoyed and make a difference for persons with disabilities.
2. Paraphrase/Give Examples:
Read each section of Articles 15 and 16 aloud and ask the assigned group to give its paraphrase. Discuss the meaning of the section until everyone can agree on a paraphrase. Write the final paraphrase of Articles 15 and 16 on chart paper and read it aloud. After each section, ask for examples of how that right could be enjoyed and make a difference for persons with disabilities.
3. Discuss:
· How can Articles 15 and 16 of the CRPD be used to set national disability rights agendas and formulate platforms of action for submission to political parties or government decision makers?
· How can these provisions be used to monitor conditions in prisons or institutions or other settings where persons with disabilities may be vulnerable to violence and abuse?
· How can these provisions be used to help advocate for violence prevention programmes?
EXERCISE 6.3:
Understanding the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in Prison or Detention
Objective: To understand the particular needs of persons with disabilities in prison or detention
Time: 30 minutes
Materials: Chart paper and markers or blackboard and chalk
Optional: Copies of the list generated in Exercise 6.1.
1. Introduce:
Explain that prisoners with disabilities, like all persons with disabilities, require accommodation for their disability. Reintroduce the list of disability populations created in Exercise 6.1 or create a new list of different groups of persons with disabilities (for example, women, children and teenagers, sexual minorities, men, elders, refugees) and kinds of disability (for example, visual, mobility, hearing, intellectual, psychosocial).
2. Discuss:
Divide participants into small groups and ask each to use the list as a guide to do the following:
· Provide examples of how prison conditions and treatment in detention may affect a person with a disability and present risks of violence/abuse; and
· Identify challenges to addressing the rights of persons with disabilities in prison or held in detention.
3. Analyze:
Ask participants to consider the following based on their initial discussion:
· What actions could be taken to address the rights of persons with disabilities in prison or detention?
· Who must be involved in order for prevention to be effective?
· What advocacy initiative might help create change in this area?
EXERCISES FOR CHAPTER 7:
PRIVACY, INTEGRITY, HOME, AND THE FAMILY
EXERCISE 7.1:
What Does It Mean to Enjoy the Rights to Respect for Privacy, Integrity, Home, and the Family?
Objective: To understand the rights to respect for privacy, integrity, home, and the family
Time: 40 minutes
Materials: Chart paper and markers or blackboard and chalk
1. Brainstorm:
Divide participants into small groups and assign each one of these or other typical life situations involving privacy, personal integrity, and/or respect for home and family:
· Visiting the doctor;
· Telephoning or writing a letter or e-mail to a friend;
· Visiting the bank; or
· Meeting with your child’s teacher to discuss the child’s performance at school.
Ask each group to discuss the experience of persons with disabilities in this situation:
· In which instances do persons with disabilities need to enjoy privacy, personal integrity, and/or respect for home and family in order to participate fully? Make a list of life activities.
· What information might persons with disabilities reasonably expect to be kept private?
· Would the personal integrity involve mental or physical integrity, or both?
· Who might be responsible for respecting the rights indicated in the different examples?
2. Report:
Ask a spokesperson from each group to summarize their discussions.
· What similarities do you observe in experiences in these different settings?
· Are there other situations in everyday life when similar issues occur?
· What can persons with disabilities do in these situations to protect their privacy and integrity?
3. Discuss:
Ask the group to discuss the changes that can be made to protect the privacy and integrity of persons with disabilities.
EXERCISE 7.2:
Understanding Barriers to Respect for Privacy, Integrity, Home, and the Family
Objective: To identify barriers to enjoyment of the rights to respect for privacy, personal integrity, the home, and family faced by persons with disabilities
Time: 40 minutes
Materials: List of life activities generated in Exercise 7.1
1. Analyze:
Using the list of life activities used in Exercise 7.1 and the responses given in the discussion, ask each participant (or pair of participants) to choose one activity and to evaluate the specific barriers persons with disabilities might face in enjoying the rights to respect for privacy, personal integrity, the home, and family while participating in that activity.
2. Discuss:
Ask each participant or pair to report on their analysis and to discuss at least one example of barriers that a person with a disability might face in enjoying the rights to respect for privacy, personal integrity, the home, and family while participating in that particular life activity.
3. Report/Discuss:
· What are the consequences when persons with disabilities do not enjoy respect for their privacy, personal integrity, home, and family?
o To the person with a disability?
o To society as a whole?
· Which barriers have the greatest effect on persons with disabilities?
· What can be done to eliminate these most significant barriers?
EXERCISE 7.3:
Understanding Respect for Privacy, Integrity, Home, and the Family
Objective: To review and understand the provisions on rights to respect for privacy, integrity, home, and the family in the CRPD
Time: 45 minutes
Materials: Chart paper and markers or blackboard and chalk; copies of CRPD Articles 17, 22, and 23
1. Review:
Divide the participants into small groups. Ask each group to work together to discuss one of the sections of Article 17, Protecting the integrity of the person; Article 22, Respect for privacy; and Article 23, Respect for home and the family. Specifically, what does each section require to be achieved? Who is responsible? What challenges might there be to implementation and how can these be overcome?
2. Discuss:
Have each group report on the outcomes of their discussions.
3. Give examples:
Ask for examples of how each of the provisions of Articles 17, 22, and 23 could be applied to the real life examples discussed in Exercises 7.1 and 7.2.
4. Discuss:
How can Articles 17, 22, and 23 of the CRPD be used to set national disability rights agendas and formulate platforms of action for submission to political parties or government decision makers? What would it mean in your country?
