AS WRITTEN

Statement on behalf of the World Federation of the Deaf, World Blind Union, 
International League of Societies for Persons with Mental Handicap, 
Rehabilitation International, and Disabled Peoples' International.


 According to the United Nations, one person in ten has a disability and 
all of us will be affected by disability for a shorter or longer period at 
some time in our lives.

 Today, I am speaking on behalf of all organizations of disabled people 
represented at this global event. We are people first, and only secondly do 
we have a disability. We reject the label of 'vulnerable' as it appears in 
the documents of the Summit; we are fellow citizens, with equal rights and 
responsibilities. What makes us disadvantaged, are the obstacles we face in 
society and its physical, social, economic, cultural and political 
structures. We look to this Summit to break down the barriers to our full 
participation and equality.

 All the themes of this Summit are highly relevant to us. We are the 
poorest of the poor in most societies. Disability increases poverty and 
poverty increases disability. It is women who bear a particular burden of 
poverty, both as carers and as disabled persons.

 Two thirds of disabled people are estimated to be without employment. 
Social exclusion and isolation are the day to day experiences of disabled 
persons. Too many must live in institutions. We cannot and we will not 
tolerate such conditions any longer. Disabled people must be included in 
the decisions, and above all, in the follow-up of the implementation of the 
plan of action of this Summit.

 Every paragraph and every sentence of International Human Rights 
Conventions and other legal instruments apply to disabled people as well as 
to non-disabled people. But now we also have the United Nations Standard 
Rules on the Equalization of Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities. 
The Special Rapporteur, Mr. Bengt Lindqvist, has written to all Governments 
asking some basic questions about their policy towards the Standard Rules. 
So far, only 15 Governments have responded. The disability NGOs call on 
every Government representative here to support the full implementation of 
the Standard Rules in their country.

 Governments need their national NGOs in working for a better future for 
disabled people. Governments also need to ensure that a percentage of their 
development funding goes to grassroots projects empowering disabled people. 
The UN needs the international NGOs. It is the NGOs who work at the 
grassroots, with people, with public authorities and with the UN to create 
a better life for disabled people and to realize the goals of this Summit. 
We disabled people ourselves need to be empowered to combat poverty, 
unemployment and social exclusion.

 The UN itself must set a better example: it could employ many more 
qualified disabled people; it could provide better access to UN meetings; 
it could provide documentation in Braille or tape; it could recognize Sign 
Language as one official UN language.

 Ladies and Gentlemen,

 Only as equals can we disabled people contribute our full potential to 
social development. Equal opportunities can only be realized if society 
adapts itself to the diversity of its members. A society good for disabled 
people is a better society for all.