Rights Are Necessary but Insufficient for the Achievement of the Full Inclusion of People with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities

Objectives

Two forces which are in juxtaposition have been impacting upon the achievement of full inclusion and emancipation of people with intellectual and related developmental disabilities into society. The first is the history of the United Nations human rights declarations and conventions. While human rights initiatives have supported grassroots movements such as choice, self-determination, and person-centred supports, the second force, neoliberal philosophy, has commandeered these concepts into a culture of managerialism and individualism. Whether rights are necessary but insufficient for the achievement of the full inclusion of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities needed to be addressed.

Methods

The history of the human rights movement was explored leading up to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD). The impact of countervailing forces of neoliberal policies were explored. The ongoing development of models of disability were examined, as were threats to implementation and the realisation of outcomes.

Results

The impact of neoliberal policies by member nations and the juridical nature of the CRDP were found to be limiting factors for genuine community acceptance and inclusion of people with disabilities, especially those with intellectual disabilities.

Conclusions

Member nations conforming to human rights imperatives also need to encourage the building an ethical community in which reciprocal relationships are fostered and celebrated. Individualism and the market-based economies have failed to recognise the important role communality has played in the history of the human species.