Core values

In an introductory document on disability and human rights, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights notes that there are four core values of human rights law that are ´of particular importance in the context of disability´

I would encourage you to make these core values the foundation stone for all your advocacy and campaigning efforts, as I have for my own.

'The four core values of human rights law are:

1 the dignity of each individual, who is deemed to be of inestimable value because of his/her inherent self-worth, and not because s/he is economically or otherwise “useful”

2 the concept of autonomy or self-determination, which is based on the presumption of a capacity for self-directed action and behaviour

3 the inherent equality of all regardless of difference;

4 and the ethic of solidarity, which requires society to sustain the freedom of the person with appropriate social supports.

I think that these core values are so important, the key ideals from each appear as the slogan on every page of the site, immediately underneath the site name: dignity, autonomy, equality and solidarity.

Note

The original second value ends with the following:

and requires that the person be placed at the centre of all decisions affecting him/her;

However, I have edited this value here because I am reluctant to endorse the view that disabled people need to have decisions made for us.

It is undoubtedly true in a small number of cases - people in a persistent vegetative state for example - but I think we need to be very careful about exaggerating this need, which helps to perpetuate inaccurate or patronising attitudes toward disabled people, or, even more dangerously, leaves the way open for others to impose their ideas of what is best for us.