Analyzing disability assessment procedures in the light of the UN Convention on the rights of persons with disabilities: A proposed methodological guide

The implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRDP) implies that signatory States, among other obligations, take the necessary measures to allow persons with disabilities "to live in the community, with choices equal to others" (art. 19). To undertake support services and provisions, development policies promoting social inclusion and participation of disabled persons, international organisations (UN, World Bank, European Disability Forum...) recommend that State parties develop disability assessment mechanisms and eligibility criteria for services and benefits consistent with the Convention. Many countries, notably developing countries, are in need of guiding tools and methods to analyze and reform their disability assessment systems and procedures in light of the Convention. This article presents the results of a research conducted in 2011-2012. Based on articles of the Convention on one hand, on a review of international literature on the definition of disability and disability assessment mechanisms on the other hand, and continuous consultation of disabled persons organisations in seven low and middle income countries (India, Nepal, Uganda, Philippines, Romania, Rwanda and Tunisia) and two OECD countries (Belgium and France), the study resulted in identifying a number of issues related to disability assessment mechanisms and in developing a methodological guide for private and public stakeholders. This guide allows describing and analyzing disability assessment and eligibility mechanisms in a given country, in order to develop indicators with a view to proposing reforms. (C) 2015 Published by Elsevier Masson SAS on behalf of Association ALTER.