A/HRC/34/58
2.
Communication
78.
Some persons with disabilities may need support to overcome barriers that limit
their ability to communicate and be understood. While the provision of accessible
information and communication can reduce the need for support of persons with
disabilities, many of them may still require support with communication. The situation of
children with disabilities with limited or no speech capacity is particularly alarming, since
their communication needs are usually neglected within the education system and in their
communities, despite the existence of low-cost resources and materials. In this regard,
States must take all appropriate measures to ensure that persons with disabilities, whatever
their communication skills or type of impairment, can access the communication support
they need through different forms of communication, as defined in article 2 of the
Convention. This includes professional sign language interpretation, display of text, Braille,
tactile communication, large print and accessible multimedia, as well as written, audio,
plain-language, human-reader and augmentative and alternative modes, means and formats
of communication, including accessible information and communications technology.
79.
Contributions to the present report illustrate different ways in which States provide
support in the area of communication. For example, Cuba has certified 455 sign language
interpreters who work in coordination with the National Association of the Deaf, the
Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Higher Education, while Colombia has set up an
online relay centre that facilitates the communication of deaf persons with anyone in the
country through interpretation services. Deaf persons can also learn to use information and
communications technology and be trained as interpreters.
3.
Mobility
80.
A variety of persons with disabilities may require support to ensure their personal
mobility with the greatest possible independence, including through mobility aids, devices
and assistive technologies and forms of live assistance and intermediaries. In particular,
persons with disabilities who live in rural and remote areas face significant challenges in
accessing different forms of mobility support, which significantly limits their access to such
basic services as health care and education.
81.
Article 20 of the Convention requires States to facilitate the personal mobility of
persons with disabilities in the manner and at the time of their choice, facilitate their access
to assistive technologies and forms of mobility assistance and intermediaries, and provide
training in mobility skills to persons with disabilities and staff working with them. It also
encourages entities that produce mobility aids, devices and assistive technologies to take
into account all aspects of mobility for persons with disabilities. The Special Rapporteur’s
thematic report on disability-inclusive policies (A/71/314) provides guidance to States on
how to establish a policy framework that ensures access to assistive devices and
technologies to persons with disabilities.
4.
Personal assistance
82.
States have an obligation to ensure that persons with disabilities have access to the
personal assistance necessary to support living and inclusion in the community, as provided
by article 19 (b) of the Convention. Personal assistance encompasses a broad range of
arrangements designed to assist a person with disabilities to perform daily activities,
including getting up, bathing, dressing, getting ready for work, going out, cooking, cleaning
and shopping. Persons with disabilities may require personal assistance for different lengths
of time, from full time to a few hours a week, depending on their individual needs.
83.
Independent living centres and representative organizations of persons with
disabilities can play an important role in ensuring access to personal assistance. They can
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