Back to:Modifications by Governments
Go to: Draft Article 12 | Draft Article 14

Contributions submitted by Governments
in electronic format at the Fourth Session

Proposed Modifications to Draft Article 13

European Union

Draft Article 13
FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION AND OPINION, AND ACCESS TO INFORMATION

States Parties shall take appropriate measures to ensure that persons with disabilities can exercise their right to freedom of expression and opinion through Braille, sign language, and other modes of communication of their choice, and to seek, receive and impart information, on an equal footing with others, including by:

(a) providing public information to persons with disabilities, on request, in a timely manner and without additional cost, in accessible formats⁴⁸ and technologies of their choice, taking into account different kinds of disability;

EU Proposal: The EU suggests replacing "public" with "official" and deleting the words “of their choice”.

(b) accepting the use of alternative modes of communication by persons with disabilities in official interactions;

(c) educating persons with disabilities to use alternative and augmentative communication modes;

(d) undertaking and promoting the research, development and production of new technologies, including information and communication technologies, and assistive technologies, suitable for persons with disabilities;

EU Proposal: The EU suggests the following rewording; “promoting and where appropriate undertaking the research, development and production of new technologies, including information and communication technologies, and assistive technologies, suitable for persons with disabilities;”

(e) promoting other appropriate forms of assistance and support to persons with disabilities to ensure their access to information;

(f) encouraging⁵⁰ private entities that provide services to the general public to provide information and services in accessible and usable formats for persons with disabilities;

(g) encouraging the mass media to make their services accessible to persons with disabilities.

Japan

Art.13(a)
-As retained in the parentheses on the draft text, we propose to use "Taking a ppropriate steps to provide..." at the beginning of this subparagraph in order to take into account the fact that immediate and complete implementation of a ll these measures are not always possible for every state party. In this rega rd, instead of using above wording, it is also possible to put the wording "pr ovide...to the maximum of its available resources" as used in the Article 2 of the International Covenant of Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.

Art.13(f)&(g)
- As these subparagraphs dealing with private sector, we prefer to use "Encour aging" as in the original draft, rather than "Obliging" or "Ensuring."

Mexico

Article 12: Freedom from violence and abuse

• Para 3: proposes to add at the end of the para: “education for persons with disabilities and support to their representative organizations”
• Proposes the addition of “abandonment” in front of “violence, injury or abuse, neglect…..” in paras 3, 4, 5 & 6

Republic of Korea

Article 13: Freedom of Expression and Opinion, and Access to Information

• Proposes inclusion of a new para before para (a): “providing equal access to information regarding electoral processes so as to ensure that persons with disabilities can exercise their political rights on an equal basis with others”
• Para (b): proposes replacement of “Accepting” with “Recognizing”
• Para (d): proposes addition at the end of para: “in consultation with and with the active involvement of persons with disabilities”