World Health • 48th Yeor, No. 5, September-October 1995 3

Editorial Equal opportunities

field: Standard Rules on • governments should create a the Equalization of Opportunities for legal base for measures in the Persons with . They disability field leading towards contain a message of vital impor­ accessibility and participation, tance because there is no country in and should support and cooperate the world- not even the most afflu­ with organizations of disabled ent, democratic and welfare-oriented people; -that has reached a decent or reson­ • governments should integrate able level of participation for its disability measures, based on citizens with disabilities. Many laws or regulations aimed at obstacles to participation still re­ achieving general accessibility­ main, concerning such fundamental particularly in education, where issues as and freedom. the needs of disabled children The ' decision to and youths should be catered for Mr Bengt Lindqvist, Special Rapporteur of the draw up this new instrument fol­ in the general school system; UN Commission for Social Development on Disability. lowed an international debate where • governments should actively the disability community requested support opportunities for stronger leadership from the UN employment, and take concrete in implementing the policies action to open up various sectors and guidelines set forth in the 1982 of society like family life, culture The United Nations' Rules on World Programme ofAction and recreation to disabled concerning Disabled Persons. individuals. Equalization of Opportunities Although there were some successes during the UN Decade of Disabled The degree to which the Standard for Persons with Disabilities Persons, 1983-92, far too little was Rules are implemented by govern­ should be used to the sustainable. More guidance was ments is now being monitored by a needed concerning how things could Special Rapporteur appointed by the maximum by all organizations and should be done and about the UN Secretary General, and it is for the disabled. crucial issue of responsibility. obvious that this new instrument has The above quotation states revitalized the disability issue in clearly that it is the responsibility of many countries. Through taking States, i.e. governments, to take part in elaborating and adopting the appropriate actions to remove the Rules, governments are strongly remaining obstacles. The 22 rules of committed to take appropriate mea­ the documel)t explain what govern­ sures. This is an opportunity that all "I n all societies of the world ments should do, what principles organized movements of disabled there are still obstacles they should apply, and what mea­ people must grasp and use to the preventing persons with dis­ sures they should take in different maximum. • abilities from exercising their rights fields in order to progress towards and freedoms and making it difficult full participation in the disability for them to participate fully in the field. activities of their societies. It is the It is not easy to summarize an responsibility of States to take already concentrated document, but appropriate action to remove such in brief: obstacles." • persons with disabilities are These two sentences figure in the citizens like everybody else and Mr Bengt Lindqvist is Special Rapporteur of the UN Commission for Social Development on introductory chapter of the United therefore entitled to participate in Disability, Swedish Parliament, S-1 00 I 2 Nations' new instrument in the the activities of their community; , .