INTRODUCTION

Today in the World, persons with disabilities comprise a significant part of the population. According to the 2010 global population estimates, more than one billion people are estimated to live with some form of disability. This is estimated to be about 15% of the world’s population. According to the World Report on Disability (2011), this is higher than previous World Health Organization estimates, which date from the 1970s and suggested a figure of around 10%.

It is reported that the number of persons with disabilities is growing. The 2011 World Report on Disability states that there is a higher risk of disability at older ages, and national populations are growing older at unprecedented rates. The report further indicates that there is also a global increase in chronic health conditions which will influence the nature and prevalence of disability. These include conditions such as diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and mental disorders. The World Report on Disability argues that patterns of disability in a particular country are influenced by trends in health conditions and trends in environmental and other factors – such as road traffic crashes, natural disasters, conflict, diet, and substance abuse.

The disability experience resulting from the interaction of health conditions, personal factors, and environmental factors varies greatly. While disability correlates with disadvantage, not all people with disabilities are equally disadvantaged. Women with disabilities experience gender discrimination as well as disabling barriers. School enrolment rates also differ among impairments, with children with physical impairment generally faring better than those with intellectual or sensory impairments. Those most excluded from the labour market are often those with mental health difficulties or intellectual impairments. People with more severe impairments often experience greater disadvantage, (World Report on Disability, 2011).

Disability disproportionately affects vulnerable populations. There is a higher disability prevalence in lower-income countries than in higher-income countries. People from the poorest wealth quintile, women, and older people have a higher prevalence of disability. People who have a low income, are out of work, or have low educational qualifications are at an increased risk of disability. Data from selected countries show that children from poorer households and those in ethnic minority groups are at significantly higher risk of disability than other children.

Due to the phenomenon that disability correlates with disadvantage, it is an obvious argument that the continent of Africa has a higher prevalence of disability. The population of Africa is estimated at 1billion. 15% of this population comes to 150million persons with disabilities. Such a population can not by any means be ignored by governments when it comes the enjoyment and exercise of human rights on an equal basis with other citizens without disabilities.

There are many barriers that hinder the full enjoyment of human rights and fundamental freedoms on an equal basis with other. These include inadequate protective policies and laws, inaccessibility, negative attitudes, inadequate educational and employment opportunities and bad traditional practices (especially in Africa). These barriers call for efforts to increase advocacy work for the purpose of improving the human rights status of persons with disabilities.

The World Health Organisation and the World Bank Group produced the World Report on Disability 2011 to provide the evidence for innovative policies and programmes that could improve the lives of people with disabilities, and facilitate implementation of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, which came into force in May 2008. The UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities reinforces our understanding of disability as a human rights and development priority. Unfortunately, many countries in Africa have not yet ratified the Convention. On the other hand, those who have ratified have not yet put in place measures to domesticate it.

It is important that countries implement the provisions of the CRPD. Where countries are unable to implement the provisions, there is need to have these implemented through the inclusion within the framework of International Cooperation. Technical assistance is therefore necessary from the developed countries to the less developed countries. It is important also that the UN system shows commitment towards assisting countries to implement the CRPD.

The Disability Rights Watch has therefore made strides to develop this strategic plan for the purpose of contributing towards the promotion and protection of the rights of persons with disabilities in Africa. The strategic plan is also meant to fulfill of the Disability Rights Watch’s mission and objectives. While the name of the organization is specifically focusing on “disability rights”, it is observed that the CRPD does not create new rights for persons with disabilities, and that disability rights are the actual human rights enshired in the UN charter, Convenant on Civil and Political Rights and Convenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.

2.0   RECOGNITION OF THE CONVENTION ON THE RIGHTS OF PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES

Through a few partners in the disability movement:

2.1   realizing that the phenomenon of advocacy around the protecting and promoting the  uman rights and fundamental freedoms of persons with disabilities is dynamic and has dramatically changed since the adoption of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities by the General Assembly of the United Nations in December, 2006;

2.2   Stressing the relevance of mainsteaming disability issues is a key strategy to full inclusion for sustainable development;

2.3   Concerned that many Disabled People’s Organisations in Africa have little capacity to advocate for the full promotion and protection of the rights and fundamental freedoms of individual persons with disabilities;

2.4   recognizing that the use of national and international human rights laws as tools for sustainable development in which persons with disabilities are fully included and involved is key:

2.5   Affirming the need for all countries to sign and ratify the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities;

2.6   recognizing that the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities provides for principles that promote and protect the rights and fundamental freedoms of persons with disabilities, and that such principles should be incorporated in domestic policies, laws and programmes of all State Parties to the Convention;

2.7   Taking note of the fact that the CRPD does not in any way create new rights for persons with disabilities:

a disability rights organisation based on the use of international and national law for inclusive sustainable development was incorporated and, is called the Disability Rights Watch (DRW). The organisation is incorporated as a limited company by guarantee operating as a non-profit civil society organization which is non-political and non-partisan.

3.0   ORGANISATION AND ESTABLISHMENT

3.1   Disability Rights Watch was registered as a limited company by guarantee in November, 2011. It is operating as non-profit organization.

3.2   Vision

The vision of the company shall be “persons with disabilities in Africa enjoying their rights and fundamental freedoms equally with the rest of the people and their inferent dignity respected equally”.

3.3   Mission statement

The mission sstatement of the company is “to defend, protect and promote the economic, social, cultural, civil and political rights and fundamental freedoms of persons with disabilities and ensure the respect of their inherent dignity on an equal basis like any other people in Africa”.

3.4   Objectives

The objective of DRW are:

3.4.1          Advancing and defending of human rights

To defend and protect persons with disabilities from all forms of discrimination, exploitation, violence and abuse;

3.4.2          Publicity and promotion of human rights

To promote the rights and fundamental freedoms of persons with disabilities outlined in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons ith Disabilities (CRPD)and other international human rights convenants and conventions;

3.4.3          Demonstration of models

To demonstrate and model ideal situations of fulfilling the enjoyment of human rights by persons with disabilities in all aspects of life;

3.4.4          Capacity building of Disabled People’s Organisations

To build the advocacy capacity of Disabled People’s Organisations and their umbrella federations and bodies in Africa;

3.4.5          Litigation and legal precedence

To establish legal precedents to promote the rights and fundamental freedoms of persons with disabilities and to use these precedents for the purpose of transforming laws across Africa;

3.4.6          Promotion of domestication of Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities

To develop and promote best practice on the domestication of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) across Africa.