Esteemed legal practitioner Geoffrey Robertson makes a cogent argument for the establishment of a charter of rights in Australia in this SMH article. As he points out the Universal Charter of Human Rights is a good start (even if basic by neccessity).
As advocates for the quality of life for children disabled by hypoxic brain injuries, conventions to which Australia is a signatory provide some pause for reflection on the "rights" of children with a disability. The UN Convention on the rights of persons with a disability is one such document.
Section (r) Recognizing that children with disabilities should have full enjoyment of all human rights and fundamental freedoms on an equal basis with other children, ................, and
Section 20 (b) Facilitating access by persons with disabilities to quality mobility aids, devices, assistive technologies and forms of live assistance and intermediaries, including by making them available at affordable cost;
These are just two examples of obligations on the Australian Government as signatories to this convention.
How then can it be justified to make children wait extensive periods for access to wheelchairs or other mobility equipment. Particularly when such waits expose the children to potential further harm, and create other quality of life issues for the children and their carers?
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment