Habilitation and rehabilitation
States Parties shall take effective and appropriate measures, including through peer support, to enable persons with disabilities to attain and maintain maximum independence, full physical, mental, social and vocational ability, and full inclusion and participation in all aspects of life. To that end, States Parties shall organise, strengthen, and extend comprehensive habilitation and rehabilitation services and programmes, particularly in the areas of health, employment, education and social services, in such a way that these services and programmes:
(a) Begin at the earliest possible stage, and are based on the multidisciplinary assessment of individual needs and strengths;
(b) Support participation and inclusion in the community and all aspects of society, are voluntary, and are available to persons with disabilities as close as possible to their own communities, including in rural areas.
States Parties shall promote the development of initial and continuing training for professionals and staff working in habilitation and rehabilitation services.
States Parties shall promote the availability, knowledge and use of assistive devices and technologies, designed for persons with disabilities, as they relate to habilitation and rehabilitation. (Article 26)
Obligations
This article is an extension of the traditional rights to education, health, work, and social security to habilitation and rehabilitation. Habilitation refers to the developmental acquisition of life skills by persons with lifelong disability, whereas rehabilitation refers to the recovery of life skills by persons who have acquired disability as a result of trauma. State Parties are required to ensure the availability of comprehensive habilitation and rehabilitation services and programmes that will enable persons with disability to attain and maintain maximum independence and full physical, mental, social and vocational ability. Peer supported habilitation and rehabilitation is particularly emphasised. The article places major emphasis on the participation and inclusion of persons with disability in all aspects of the life of the community both during the process of habilitation and rehabilitation, and as an outcome of it. State Parties are required to ensure that habilitation and rehabilitation services are available at the earliest possible time and are locally based, including in rural areas. The article stresses the multidimensional nature of habilitation and rehabilitation by requiring that service delivery is based on the multidisciplinary assessment of the person’s needs and strengths. The article makes it clear that habilitation and rehabilitation cannot be imposed coercively by insisting that participation must be voluntary. Paragraph 2 of the article requires State Parties to promote the development of initial and continuing training of habilitation and rehabilitation professionals and other staff. Paragraph 3 requires State Parties to promote the availability, knowledge of, and use of assistive devices and technologies that may facilitate habilitation and rehabilitation.
Indicators
• Persons with disability have access to habilitation and rehabilitation services that will allow them to:
• Habilitation and rehabilitation services begin at the earliest possible stage.
• Habilitation and rehabilitation services are based on the multidisciplinary assessment of the person’s individual needs and strengths.
• Habilitation and rehabilitation services support persons with disability to participate and be included in the community, and in all aspects of society.
• Habilitation and rehabilitation services are available to persons with disability in local communities, including in rural areas.
• The participation of persons with disability in habilitation and rehabilitation services is voluntary.
• Habilitation and rehabilitation professionals and staff receive comprehensive initial and continuing education.
• Persons with disability are informed about, and have ready access to, assistive devices and technologies to assist them with habilitation and rehabilitation.
Example
The right to habilitation and rehabilitation will be particularly relevant to people who through their work are involved in:
• Working with clients in the provision of services involving the habilitation of children and young people in the development stages of their lives
• Working with clients in the provision of rehabilitation services compassing health and social support sectors