Online Program

326505
Adapting the United Nations Human Rights Indicators to measure and report the fulfillment of rights for people with disabilities


Monday, November 2, 2015 : 2:50 p.m. - 3:10 p.m.

Song-Lih Huang, Institute of Public Health, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan
Yibee Huang, Taiwan International Medical Alliance, Taipei, Taiwan
Chun Hung Chen, Department of Political Science, Soochow University, Taipei, Taiwan
Mab Huang, Chang Fo-Chuan Center for Human Rights, Soochow University, Taipei, Taipei, Taiwan
The United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights organized the development of a series of Human Rights Indicators (HRIs) in the past decade. The indicators follow the conceptural framework of identifying 4-5 attributes for a particular right (e.g. right to health), and structural, process, and outcome indicators for each attribute. The indicators rely primarily on socioeconomic and administrative statistics to reflect the status of human rights fulfillment, such as coverage of health insurance schemes. The indicators, when published regularly, are useful in monitoring the achievement of public policies. However, the HRIs were designed for the general population, and the situations of people with disabilities are overlooked for two reasons: (1) for parsimony, the number of indicators was limited and included those with the widest application, thus not the specific needs of poeple with disabilities; (2) in statistics people with disabilities could not be properly represented in random samplings because of small number or their disability status not recorded. To compose HRIs for people with disabilities, we initiated a series of expert round tables. The experts included NGOs representing and providing care to people with disabilities, parent groups, scholars, and government officials including statistical department. The attributes were political rights (voting, designated seats), social and economic rights (education, health care, work), obtain and impart information, and social security. For each attribute 10-15 indicators were selected. This indicators will be presented to the government; once adopted, improvements (or lack thereof) in the fulfillment of rights can be documented.

Learning Areas:

Administration, management, leadership
Advocacy for health and health education
Other professions or practice related to public health
Public health or related laws, regulations, standards, or guidelines
Public health or related public policy

Learning Objectives:
Describe the formulation of UN human rights indicators for general population. Demonstrate the process of adapting the UN indicators specifically for the measurement of human rights status for people with disabilities. Discuss the complexities of the process, particularly in involving representation from different disability groups and government departments.

Keyword(s): Disabilities, Policy/Policy Development

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am the principle investigator of the research project on human rights indicators. This particular report is a branch investigation originated from the human rights indicator project. I am responsible for the final compilation of indicators.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.