The topic of this session was how people can use the Convention and how people with disabilities can be treated like every other citizen. The speakers said that: People with disabilities should stand up for their rights. They should be educated together with other people. They should get better health care.

The focus of this plenary session was full citizenship for people with disabilities. The different speakers focused on family life, education, health and on how the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) applies to these areas of life.

Sue Swenson from the United States spoke from the perspective of a mother of a son with disabilities. She referred to the unalienable rights of every human being as they are enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. According to her, the UN Convention allows people to advance these rights.

She pointed out that there is no smooth transition from the medical to the social model of disability by exemplifying that in times of crisis people come up again with the idea of setting up institutions.  Subsequently, Sue Swenson demonstrated a model consisting of four approaches:

            1. Remedial Approach

The idea behind this approach is to “fix defects”.

2. Rehabilitative Approach

Instead of “fixing” problems, they are evaluated and then treated according to what society requires. An example is the belief that autism can be cured.

3. Rights Approach

People with disabilities are made aware of their rights. The question is what they want.

4. Revolutionary Approach

This approach does not mean revolution in the sense of using force. Instead it means self-advocacy, to stand up and speak for ones rights. However, empowerment is needed to cause change.

Mark Goldberg, chief executive of Mencap in the UK, discussed healthcare of people with intellectual disabilities. Based on Mencap’s study “Death through indifference” several cases of people with intellectual disabilities dying in medical care due to neglect could be uncovered.

In order to prevent such cases in the future, medical staff should be trained to:

• Value people with intellectual disabilities as individuals
• Look beyond their disability
• Make reasonable adjustments for their treatment (for instance, they have to be susceptible to special signs patients give since many have difficulties to express with words from what they suffer).

Kenneth Eklindh from the Basic Education Division of UNESCO addressed the right to education. Children with disabilities make one third of all primary school aged children in the world who do not have access to any education. Kenneth Eklindh defined the following features as desired for inclusive schools:

• Flexibility towards different needs of each child.
• Variation in teaching methods, holistic approach
• Focus on the “strong sides” of each child’s abilities
• Respect for differences
• Making accommodations for different learning styles

But he stressed that first, obstacles have to be overcome such as segregation and wrong expectations in regard to what individual students can achieve.

Peter Masuch is President of the German Federal Social Court. He explained the audience the legal significance of the Convention using the example of Germany. Peter Masuch emphasized that also the Basic Law which is the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Germany forbids discrimination due to disability. However, disability as such is not specified.

Therefore, citizens whose rights are denied should refer to the Convention in court.

All states which have ratified the Convention will have to report about all cases that involved the UN CRPD after two years. Peter Masuch pointed out that at this time it will become clear how effective the Convention really is.