We need to stop treating people with disabilities as less than human

In her most recent article in the Guardian, We need to stop treating people with disabilities as less than human, Shantha Rau Barriga, Disability Rights Director at Human Rights Watch, sheds light on the work that still needs to be undertaken to ensure that disability rights are enforced globally.

As she asserts, “According to the World Health Organisation, 1 billion people – one in seven – have some form of disability. They are our classmates, relatives and friends, and they have the right to be treated the same as everyone else.” With this in mind, Shantha Rau Barriga is urging all governments to commit to better monitoring and investments in rights-respecting alternatives to institutions. She finished the article by encouraging us “to keep in mind that disability does not discriminate – any one of us can join the disability community at any point in our lives. It’s not about them, it’s about us.”