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Articles

No. 3 (37) (2021)

Accessibility – One of the Human Rights or the Means of Their Implementation

Submitted
1 May 2021
Published
20-10-2021

Abstract

Accessibility is one of the pillars on which the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) is based. It is also one of the most complex and not yet fully recognized human rights institutions. The Convention defines accessibility as one of its general principles. It does not
explicitly constitute a right to accessibility per se. However, interpretations of the norm of accessibility indicate divergent views on whether we are dealing with a new human right. Defining what accessibility is in terms of human rights is of utmost importance for implementing the Convention.
The Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in its General Comment No 2 (2014) „Article 9 Accessibility” does not provide a clear answer to the legal status of accessibility. The controversy that the right to access causes is part of the general concerns that “new” human rights have always raised. The reason for the lack of clear acknowledgment of accessibility as an inherent human right is the very nature of these rights. Human rights are dynamic and continue to evolve. The Convention blurs the distinction between civil and political rights as well as
economic and social rights more clearly than previous treaties and, consequently, takes a holistic view of the idea of human rights.
Having analyzed the accessibility norm laid down in Article 9 of the CRPD, the Author shares the opinion that the CRPD reformulates the existing human rights and enriches their content to such an extent that it is possible to distinguish also new human rights on its basis, including the right to access per se. However, the scope and content of the right are still not entirely agreed upon. Nevertheless, it certainly contributes to greater social inclusion and the gradual
phasing out of measures aimed at “special” treatment of people with disabilities in favour of removing barriers and implementing universal solutions for all.

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