Abstract
Human rights have been described as a way of empowering people to shape their lives in accordance with liberty, equality and respect for human dignity (Nowak 2003). It is not surprising therefore that a reference to dignity is found in most of the core international human rights treaties. But while there is little dispute about the important symbolic role that dignity plays in realising human rights, it can be unclear what it means for practical purposes, particularly when linked – as it often is – with the concept of equality. This is particularly obvious in the area of disability where treating people with disabilities equally can actively disenfranchise them, undermining, rather than promoting, their rights. For disabled people, the issue is not so much one of equal treatment but of equal outcomes.
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Bell, S. (2017). Dignity and Disability. In: Sieh, E., McGregor, J. (eds) Human Dignity. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-56005-6_3
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-56005-6_3
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