We made it to Galway! The International Disability Law Summer School Started today, and with much success.  We attended eight different talks throughout the day, all of which were very interesting. However, due to the legal terms the panelists used, somethings were hard to understand. One of the most interesting people were heard from today was Jolijn Santegoeds, the Co-Chair of the World Network of Users and Survivors of Psychiatry. She proposed a very personal view of the issues regarding the CRPD. She answered three questions: first, the concerns experienced by persons with disabilities in her country and in the world; second, the three areas where progress has been made; and third, the areas in which progression had not been achieved. I found her answers simple, yet crucial, which got me thinking about the obstacles to achieve the most basic rights for individuals with disabilities.

Several of the concerns put forth throughout the day were crucial yet simple rights that were not granted to individuals with disabilities. The need for international treaties such as the CRPD is not to make new laws and grant new rights to individuals with disabilities, but to reiterate the fact that they are also humans and covered by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. It is hard to understand why this is not common sense, and why governments are not working harder to ensure that the rights of these human beings are being met. Maybe it’s due to the historical segregation of these individuals from the rest of society that has lead to the wrong questions being asked by federal governments about health care and human rights. As put forward by Santegoeds, if we star asking “how can we help these individuals,” rather than “how can we fix them,” progress can be made in ensuring them their human rights.