Legal Aid in the United States The purpose of legal aid is to provide free legal services to low income Americans. Civil legal aid helps ensure fairness in the justice system, regardless of how much money one has. Equal justice under law is a fundamental American value. In the United States, legal aid is primarily… Continue reading Legal Aid in the United States
GDRN Theme: Law / Policy
Journey Toward the CRPD in Kenya
U.S. Americans with Disabilities Act Training of Trainers Model
Guatemala and the CRPD
History of Guatemala and the CRPD Guatemala ratified the CRPD and Optional Protocol in April 2009. Guatemala’s disability law is from 1996 and therefore predates the country’s ratification of the CRPD. As of March 2017, Guatemala is in the process of finalizing a new law on disability which will replace the 1996 Law on the… Continue reading Guatemala and the CRPD
Guatemala’s National Laws Relating to Disability
Guatemala has only one major national law that addresses the rights of people with disabilities. The Law for the Integral Attention to People with Disabilities–Decree No. 135-96–was enacted in 1996. As of February 2017, draft bill 5127 was approved during its third hearing in Guatemalan Congress. Law 5125 is pending final approval of articles.
Peru and the CRPD
Peru and the history of the CRPD Peru was the first Latin American country to ratify the CRPD, which it did in December 2007. Peru was the 15th country to ratify the CRPD and the 9th country to ratify the accompanying Optional Protocol. A DPO coalition in Peru, led by CONFENADIP (the National Confederation on… Continue reading Peru and the CRPD
Peru’s National Laws Relating to Disability
These laws were passed in Peru between 2002 and 2012. They are provided in Spanish, and English where available. The language of the document is indicated in the file name. The broadest and most up-to-date disability law in Peru is the 2012 Update to the General Law on Persons with Disabilities (Law 29973). The 2012… Continue reading Peru’s National Laws Relating to Disability
Parents Build Alliances for the Future of their Disabled Children
Section 508 of the U.S. Rehabilitation Act of 1973
What is Section 508? Section 508 is an amendment to the Workforce Rehabilitation Act of 1973, which U.S. President Bill Clinton signed into law in 1998. Section 508 requires that U.S. federal departments and agencies to develop, procure, maintain, or use only electronic and information technology (“EIT”) that is accessible for people with disabilities, unless doing… Continue reading Section 508 of the U.S. Rehabilitation Act of 1973
Using the Inter-American Human Rights System
Introduction Indigenous women and girls with disabilities face marginalization, discrimination, and exclusion on the basis of their indigenous identity, their gender, and their disability status. Protecting their human rights may require both domestic advocacy (within your country) and also regional or international advocacy. In North, Central, and South America, indigenous women with disabilities can use… Continue reading Using the Inter-American Human Rights System