Abstract
Objectives
The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) articulates the rights of all individuals with disabilities, including those with intellectual disabilities. This article introduces a special issue addressing the current status and future direction of how these rights are being realized for people with intellectual disabilities across various countries.
Methods
Experts were invited to submit conceptual papers, literature reviews, and empirical studies covering a wide range of topics relevant to the implementation of CRPD. The aim was to document how human rights and disability services are provided in different societies.
Results
Peer-reviewed articles accepted for this special issue included (1) conceptual and philosophical papers discussing the fundamental principles of the CRPD and actions to fully actualize them in the day-to-day lives of people with intellectual disabilities; (2) empirical studies highlighting programs aligned with the mandates of the CRPD; (3) examination of CRPD components integrated into positive behavior support plans and educational programs; (4) evaluation of progress in providing housing for homeless people with intellectual disabilities; (5) a program enhancing the ability of people with intellectual disabilities and their primary caregivers to actively participate in determining the need for the use of psychotropic medication for behavioral issues; (6) ethical guidelines for prescribing psychotropic medication for people with intellectual disabilities; (7) evaluation of current legislation, policy, and practices aimed at enhancing CRPD implementation; (8) example of methods enabling people with intellectual disabilities to be active participants in developing, researching, and co-writing research findings using an Easy Read format; (9) examination of organization-wide processes for reducing behaviors of concern and the use of restrictive procedures, including chemical and physical restraints; and (10) issues related to the ethical, legal, and social implications of genomic technologies for people with intellectual disabilities.
Conclusions
While progress is evident in implementing the CRPD mandates, much work remains to be done to enable people with intellectual disabilities to fully enjoy the rights and freedoms available to all citizens.
Similar content being viewed by others
Data Availability
No data are presented in this paper.
References
Chong, K., Cheah, K. J., & Manokara, V. (2024). Our Lives, Our Voices: Impact of self-advocacy program on persons with intellectual developmental disability. Advances in Neurodevelopmental Disorders, 8(1) Advance of print. https://doi.org/10.1007/s41252-023-00372-z
Deb, S., & Limbu, B. (2024). Training direct care staff to empower adults with intellectual disabilities and their families to reduce overmedication. Advances in Neurodevelopmental Disorders, 8(1) Advance of print. https://doi.org/10.1007/s41252-023-00337-2
Deb, S., Limbu, B., Bianco, A., & Bertelli, M. (2024). Ethical prescribing of psychotropic medications for people with neurodevelopmental disorders. Advances in Neurodevelopmental Disorders, 8(1) Advance of print. https://doi.org/10.1007/s41252-023-00365-y
Hwang, Y.-S., Chan, J., & Singh, N. N. (2024). Human rights, disability, and mindfulness. Advances in Neurodevelopmental Disorders, 8(1) Advance of print. https://doi.org/10.1007/s41252-023-00375-w
Iffland, M. A., Gillies, D. M., & Aghaji, A. (2024). Organisation-wide interventions to reduce behaviours of concern as well as restrictive practices with children or adults with a neurodevelopmental disorder: A systematic review. Advances in Neurodevelopmental Disorders, 8(1) Advance of print. https://doi.org/10.1007/s41252-023-00370-1
Leif, E. S., Subban, P., Sharma, U., & Fox, R. (2024). “I look at their rights first”: Strategies used by Australian behaviour support practitioners’ to protect and uphold the rights of people with disabilities. Advances in Neurodevelopmental Disorders, 8(1) Advance of print. https://doi.org/10.1007/s41252-023-00355-0
O’Donovan, M.-A., & Whittle, E. L. (2024). Housing, homelessness and disability: The commodification of a core human right and breach of this right for people with disability. Advances in Neurodevelopmental Disorders, 8(1) Advance of print.
O’Neill, J., Mulholland, A., Robinson, L., Watson, K., Batmaz, B., & Meikle, N. (2024). Equal right to decide. Advances in Neurodevelopmental Disorders, 8(1) Advance of print. https://doi.org/10.1007/s41252-023-00345-2
Park, Y. J., & Kang, E. Y. (2024). An exploratory study of the CRPD distribution on human rights education content for students in South Korea. Advances in Neurodevelopmental Disorders, 8(1) Advance of print. https://doi.org/10.1007/s41252-023-00377-8
Parmenter, T. R. (2024). Rights are necessary but insufficient for the achievement of the full inclusion of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Advances in Neurodevelopmental Disorders, 8(1) Advance of print. https://doi.org/10.1007/s41252-023-00351-4
Sheerin, F. K., Buil, S. A., Salguero, J. D., Lopez, D. F., Foden, E., McCann, E., Paans, W., Mpundu, G., Pena-Salazar, C., McCallion, P., & Fleming, S. M. (2024). The SOOTHE eQuilt of mental health and wellbeing: Supporting voice. Advances in Neurodevelopmental Disorders, 8(1) Advance of print. https://doi.org/10.1007/s41252-023-00342-5
Smith, P. J. (2024). The impact of legislation and conventions on disability employment outcomes in Australia. Advances in Neurodevelopmental Disorders, 8(1) Advance of print. https://doi.org/10.1007/s41252-023-00343-4
Vassos, M., Faragher, R., Nankervis, K., Breedt, R., Boyle, F., Smith, S., & Kelly, J. (2024). The ethical, legal, and social implications of genomics and disability: Findings from a scoping review and their human rights implications. Advances in Neurodevelopmental Disorders, 8(1) Advance of print. https://doi.org/10.1007/s41252-023-00362-1
Younan, B., Jorgensen, M., Chan, J., Winata, T., & Gillies, D. (2024). Restrictive practice use in people with neurodevelopmental disorders: A systematic review. Advances in Neurodevelopmental Disorders, 8(1) Advance of print. https://doi.org/10.1007/s41252-023-00367-w
Acknowledgments
This Special Issue is dedicated to people with neurodevelopmental disorders, their support network and co-researchers whose continued focus on realizing human rights in very practical ways and in conceptual frameworks.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Ethics Approval
This is an Editorial and does not require ethics approval
Conflict of Interest
The author declares no competing interests.
Additional information
Publisher’s Note
Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
Rights and permissions
Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.
About this article
Cite this article
Chan, J. Rights of Persons with Disabilities: Current Status and Future Directions. Adv Neurodev Disord 8, 3–6 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s41252-024-00392-3
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s41252-024-00392-3