Disability Rights Movement Case Study

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Case study – the disability rights movement:
The ‘Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities,’ adopted by the United Nations in 2006, and ratified in 2008, defines a person with disabilities as “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” (Un.org, 2018). This coalesces into the disability rights movement, an international social movement which endeavors to obtain equal rights and opportunities for the individuals living with disabilities, embodying disabilities of all kinds: physical disabilities, learning disabilities, visual disabilities and mental health disabilities. The movement’s focuses on overcoming the nature of the multifaceted barriers that exist, for instance, attitudinal, physical and social barriers in order to enable people with disabilities to conduct their everyday lives in the same manner that everyone else does (Cdc.gov, 2016).

The social model of disability puts forward the notion that disabilities are products of the organization and attitudes of society, rather than an individual’s impairment and difference in itself (Scope.org.uk, 2018). The model outlines the basis of the disability rights movement, encompassing the various barriers that the movement focuses on overcoming, in particular the attitudinal, physical and social barriers in order to enable people with