A/HRC/34/58
59.
Decentralizing the provision of support is a major challenge for many States.
Contributions to the present report illustrate that where responsibility for the provision of
support has been delegated to regional or local authorities, support is often underfunded and
fragmented, allowing for regional disparities and inequitable access within the country.
This situation gives persons with disabilities little certainty and limited choice of or control
over support services and arrangements. States should enhance their internal coordination
mechanisms to address support needs in a comprehensive manner, ensure that regional and
local authorities receive adequate budget, and implement and monitor the provision of
support services effectively. Persons with disabilities should be able to retain the support
they receive when they move to another region in their country.
2.
Service delivery arrangements
60.
Support is usually delivered by a mixture of providers, including State agencies,
private organizations, non-profit organizations, charities and families. In high- and middleincome countries, States have traditionally been the main source of formal support, either
through their centralized health-care or social protection systems or through local
authorities. In many cases, States fund and contract non-profit organizations and private
organizations to carry out these interventions. In low-income countries, charities and
international non-governmental organizations are the main providers of formal support,
often with limited sustainability and low standards of quality. Regardless of the type of
service delivery arrangement, States have an obligation to ensure that persons with
disabilities have access to and receive quality services and adequate support, including
when service provision is delegated to non-profit organizations and private actors. In such
cases, States must adopt a comprehensive regulatory and monitoring framework that
involves a due diligence obligation.
61.
In the light of article 19 of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with
Disabilities, States must adopt a community-based approach to the provision of support,
either directly or through intermediaries. Such an approach enables stakeholders — family,
friends, neighbours, peers and others — to play a significant role in supporting persons with
disabilities in daily life activities and participating in the community. This allows the
provision of culturally sensitive services in the communities where persons with disabilities
live, building on existing social networks and community resources. In the case of
indigenous peoples, for example, community-based approaches could reduce the risk of
assimilation. When services are not made available within the community, there is limited
participation by persons with disabilities in their design and provision, and there is an
increased risk of segregation and institutionalization. Importantly, by benefiting from local
skills and resources, community participation in the provision of support facilitates the
optimal and efficient delivery of services, enabling a cost-effective policy response in
countries with limited resources.
62.
In recent decades, many high- and middle-income countries have shifted their
support policies towards personalization, to enable persons with disabilities to hire the
support they require within the existing market. Different models of personalization have
been implemented, including direct payments and personal budgets. While these models
can potentially empower persons with disabilities, States need to adopt a set of measures to
enhance their effectiveness. Such measures include, for instance, building the capacities of
beneficiaries to manage their own funding and support (including supported decisionmaking); having a wide range of providers that respond to the diversity of support needs,
particularly for those who live in rural and remote areas; preventing precariousness in the
work conditions of supporters; and avoiding channelling personal budgets through the
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