Nothing about us, without us!

IIn 2006, the UN adopted the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), reaffirming that all persons with disabilities enjoy all human rights and fundamental freedoms. While the concerns of people with disabilities were previously perceived medically, the focus is now on promoting, protecting, and ensuring the full enjoyment of all human rights by persons with disabilities. The rights-based approach to disability views the person and her/his rights first, and recognizes capacity, right to participation and social responsibility for inclusion for all. Switzerland ratified the CRPD 2014. This means that Switzerland is legally bound to implement the Convention including in its international cooperation and humanitarian action.

In this episode, Carine Weiss talks to the Head of Advocacy at CBM Switzerland, Mirjam Gasser, and Chris Heer, self-advocate on the rights of persons with disabilities and head of Equality and Social Policy from the organization of persons with disabilities AGILE.CH. They talk about what it means to live with a disability in Switzerland and about the historical background to the Swiss disability movement. We talk about the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), what a human rights-based approach to disability means, and the implementation of the CRPD in and by Switzerland. Lastly, we discuss why equal participation is so essential for the inclusion of persons with disabilities and how this can and should look like both nationally and within Swiss international cooperation.

Transcript of the Podcast Season on Disability Inclusive Development - Episode 2