On 8 September 2020, Liechtenstein signed the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) at the United Nations in New York – as one of the last countries in the world. Internationally, the Convention entered into force on 3 May 2008. The UNCRPD has succeeded in establishing a human rights approach: Persons with disabilities have human rights and the state has a duty to guarantee and protect those rights. Disability is seen as an enrichment of human diversity. It is the first text of a legislative nature that not only grants people with disabilities creative potential, but also the right to develop it.
In Liechtenstein, the rights of persons with disabilities are enshrined at various levels, as a 2017 study by the Liechtenstein Institute shows: First of all, there is the Constitution, which, however, does not seem up-to-date with regard to the rights of persons with disabilities. At the legislative level, there are a number of laws that provide financial support, care and assistance to people with disabilities. Liechtenstein has had a Disability Equality Act since 2007 (LGBl. 2006 No. 234). It is partly in line with a modern disability policy that seeks full participation – social inclusion – and equal opportunities.
The study concludes that the ratification of the UNCRPD leads to people with disabilities and disability organisations having an additional legal instrument at their disposal. This would further strengthen the legal position of persons with disabilities, it is believed.
At the same time, several UN, Council of Europe and EU conventions also apply to Liechtenstein – among them the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the UN International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (UN Covenant I), the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (UN Covenant II) and the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.
In terms of institutions, Liechtenstein is well positioned for people with disabilities. On the one hand, the Association of Human Rights (AHR) has been active as a national human rights institution in Liechtenstein since 2017. This is enshrined in the Human Rights Association Act (LGBl. 2016 No. 504). On the other hand, with the Liechtenstein Association of Persons with Disabilities and the Office for Equality for Persons with Disabilities, there are two interest groups that cooperate closely and also have the mandate for disability policy. Furthermore, Liechtenstein has educational institutions and employers that work in an integrative way on the basis of the special needs education principle: the “Heilpädagogisches Zentrum” (HPZ) and the “Verein für heilpädagogische Hilfe”, which include school and therapeutic facilities as well as residential homes and workshops for adults. Furthermore, the “Verein für Betreutes Wohnen” (VBW) offers a wide range of assisted-living services for people with mental illnesses as well as for children, adolescents and families.
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