Including disabled persons in cultural life

Overcoming exclusion of incapacitated people from social life
Reducing exclusion of handicapped persons from cultural life

Description

Including disabled persons in cultural life involves removing physical, social, and attitudinal barriers to ensure equal access to cultural events, institutions, and creative opportunities. This strategy focuses on practical measures such as accessible venues, inclusive programming, adaptive technologies, and active participation in decision-making. Its purpose is to remedy exclusion, promote diversity, and empower disabled individuals to fully engage in and contribute to cultural expression, thereby enriching society as a whole.

Claim

States will ensure that persons with disabilities are integrated into and can participate in cultural activities on an equal basis. 1. States should ensure that persons with disabilities have the opportunity to utilize their creative, artistic and intellectual potential, not only for their own benefit, but also for the enrichment of their community, be they in urban or rural areas. Examples of such activities are dance, music, literature, theatre, plastic arts, painting and sculpture. Particularly in developing countries, emphasis should be placed on traditional and contemporary art forms, such as puppetry, recitation and story-telling. 2. States should promote the accessibility to and availability of places for cultural performances and services, such as theatres, museums, cinemas and libraries to persons with disabilities. 3. States should initiate the development and use of special technical arrangements to make literature, films and theatre accessible to persons with disabilities.