Adequate standard of living and social protection
States Parties recognise the right of persons with disabilities to an adequate standard of living for themselves and their families, including adequate food, clothing and housing, and to the continuous improvement of living conditions, and shall take all appropriate steps to safeguard and promote the realisation of this right without discrimination on the basis of disability.
States Parties recognise the right of persons with disabilities to social protection and to the enjoyment of that right without discrimination on the basis of disability, and shall take appropriate steps to safeguard and promote the realisation of this right, including measures:
(a) To ensure equal access by persons with disabilities to clean water services, and ensure access to appropriate and affordable services, devices and other assistance for disability-related needs;
(b) To ensure access by persons with disabilities, in particular women and girls with disabilities and older persons with disabilities, to social protection programmes and poverty reduction programmes
(c) To ensure access by persons with disabilities and their families living in situations of poverty to assistance from the State with disability-related expenses, including adequate training, counselling, financial assistance and respite care;
(d) To ensure access by persons with disabilities to public housing programmes;
(e) To ensure equal access by persons with disabilities to retirement benefits and programmes. (Article 28)
Obligations
This article applies and extends the traditional rights to an adequate standard of living and social security to persons with disability. States are required to recognise the right of persons with disability to an adequate standard of living for themselves and for their families, which includes access to adequate food, clothing and housing. Significantly, the article emphasises the right to continuous improvement of living conditions without discrimination on the ground of disability. Paragraph 2 of the article requires State Parties to recognise the right of persons with disability to social protection and poverty reduction. ‘Social protection’ is a new concept, at least so far as core United Nations human rights instruments are concerned, and appears to be more expansive than the concept of ‘social security’ incorporated into earlier instruments. State Parties are required to safeguard and promote the right to social protection by ensuring that persons with disability have equal access to clean water, to public housing, and to appropriate and affordable services, assistive devices and other assistance for disability-related needs. State Parties are also required to provide persons with disability living in poverty with access to poverty reduction programmes. This includes the public provision of financial assistance, particularly in relation to disability-related expenses, education and support services. State Parties must also ensure that older persons with disability have access on an equal basis with others to retirement benefits and programmes, and to social protection. Reiterating the obligations imposed by Article 6: Women with Disabilities, this article requires State Parties to ensure the social protection of women and girls with disability.
Indicators
• Persons with disability have access to an adequate standard of living for themselves and their families, including adequate food, clothing and housing, without discrimination on the ground of disability.
• Persons with disability enjoy continuous improvement of living conditions without discrimination on the ground of disability.
• Persons with disability have access to social protection without discrimination on the ground of disability.
• Persons with disability have access to clean water.
• Persons with disability have access to appropriate and affordable services, devices and other assistance for disability-related needs.
• Persons with disability have access to social protection and poverty reduction programmes. In particular, women and girls with disability, and older persons with disability, have access to social protection and poverty reduction programmes.
• Persons with disability and their families living in situations of poverty have access to assistance with disability-related expenses.
• Persons with disability have access to public housing programmes.
• Persons with disability have access to retirement benefits and programmes.
Example
The right to an adequate standard of living and social protection will be particularly relevant to people who through their work are involved in:
• Working with clients in the provision of services in diverse sectors including social welfare, utilities, hospitality and building and construction