About

The Need

Globally, people with disabilities have a critical role to play in the growth and development of strong communities. However, individuals with disabilities are too often excluded from contributing to their communities. Discrimination and inaccessibility persist, in spite of laws and policies that should protect the civil rights of people with disabilities due to lack of effective implementation, monitoring and enforcement.

GlobalDisabilityRightsNow.org is a comprehensive resource center that provides information, tools and best practices to implement and enforce laws and policies to protect the rights of people with disabilities.

What We Offer

This site draws on the experience of the U.S. disability rights movement and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and other disability rights activists in RightsNow! project countries and other regions, to offer:

  • Practical tools
  • Legal analysis
  • Case studies and strategies
  • Principles behind landmark disability rights legislation
  • Information and referral service

We provide information tailored to governments, civil society and Disabled People’s Organizations (DPOs). For example:

  • DPOs can access Information, ideas and strategies to effectively engage with civil society actors, policy makers and officials charged with implementing disability laws.
  • Civil society and government stakeholders can access accurate information about the application of disability legislation and policies, and effective strategies to implement, monitor and enforce national and local laws and the U.N. Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities.

Some resources are designed specifically for RightsNow! target countries (Armenia, Guatemala, Kenya, Mexico, Peru, and Vietnam), however many of the principles, concepts, tools and resources can be applicable to any audience, community or country. Most content is provided in English, however select resources are available in Armenian, Spanish, Vietnamese, sign language, and simplified text.

While we make every effort possible to share accessible resources on this site, please note that some links and documents from outside sources may not be accessible. We suggest that you contact the producer of the document and request that it be made available in an accessible format. Any material produced by our team will be accessible or available in alternative formats.

Thematic Areas

Our site offers information in nine major categories:

  1. Alternatives to institutionalization
  2. Education
  3. Employment / labor
  4. Gender-based violence prevention
  5. Indigenous people with disabilities
  6. Information technology
  7. Infrastructural and environmental physical accessibility
  8. Law and policy
  9. Women with disabilities

RightsNow! Project

GlobalDisabilityRightsNow.org is managed by Mobility International USA (MIUSA) through the RightsNow!: Strong Communities through Enforcing the Rights of Persons with Disabilities project and in collaboration with the RightsNow! U.S. Consortium.

The RightsNow! project provides technical assistance to civil society and governments in six project countries: Armenia, Guatemala, Kenya, Mexico, Peru, and Vietnam. Learn more about the RightsNow! project on the MIUSA website.

Disclaimer of Liability

GlobalDisabilityRightsNow.org is a resource center that provides information, tools, and best practices to implement and enforce laws and policies to protect the rights of people with disabilities. Resources posted on this website are intended as examples of, and tools for, the implementation and enforcement of disability rights on a nation-by-nation basis. The information contained in this website is for general informational purposes only. While the material is updated frequently, no guarantee is given that the information provided in this website is complete or up to date. Laws and regulations in particular should be checked in the official publications issued by the source country or international body, as regulations and laws can be amended, repealed, or struck down by later laws and interpretive judicial decisions.

While the RightsNow! project currently administers to 6 countries, our online resource center contains tools and content from many countries around the world. Resources provided are laws, public policy, and personal experiences in countries with different cultural lenses and do not necessarily reflect the views of the RightsNow! Consortium, nor does their selection act as an endorsement of the material.

This Website contains links to third party Websites not under the control of RightsNow!, and RightsNow! is not responsible for their content or links contained in such Linked Websites. Links on this website are not referrals or endorsements of the linked Website providers or their products or services.

 

Consortium Partners

MIUSA LOGO

 

Mobility International USA

MIUSA is disability-led organization founded in 1981 dedicated to advancing leadership and disability rights globally. By implementing innovative programs, MIUSA is building bridges to create a new era where people with disabilities will take their rightful place in the world community. MIUSA is the lead partner and administers the RightsNow! project. Website:www.miusa.org

DREDF Logo

 

Disability Rights Education & Defense Fund

DREDF is a leading U.S. civil rights law and policy center directed by individuals with disabilities and parents who have children with disabilities. Founded in 1979, DREDF works to create a world where the contributions, potential, and lives of people with disabilities are not determined by the presence of disability. Website:www.dredf.org

IFES Logo

 

International Foundation for Electoral Systems

IFES is a global leader in promoting democracy and good governance and supporting the right of all citizens to freely participate in electoral processes. Since 1998, IFES has worked to include persons with disabilities in its work, leading to the creation of www.ElectionAccess.orga global online clearinghouse of information on disability rights and political participation.www.ifes.org

 

U.S. International Council on Disabilities

USICD is a disability-led organization committed to advocacy and action to promote the global disability rights agenda. Through a wide range of projects and programs, USICD promotes the inclusion of disability perspectives in U.S. foreign policy and aid and provides opportunities for domestic disability rights organizations to interface with their international counterparts. Website:www.ifes.org