A law to protect the rights of intellectually disabled Maldivians, and provide them with financial assistance, has been ratified by President Nasheed.
The Special Needs bill, passed by the Majlis on 22 June, contains “principles and procedures” to provide “protection and financial assistance to people with special needs,” according to the President’s Office website.
The bill was originally passed by the Majlis on 21 December 2009 but was returned by the President for reconsideration of articles that, in his opinion, contravened international standards and the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
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I think the correct term should be "Maldivians with disabilities" NOT "Disabled Maldivians". There is a reason its called Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities NOT Convention on the Rights of Disabled Persons.
I think this is great and will help the population with disabilities. Everything should be about love and helping people.
I am frustrated that this article does not provide more detail about exactly what the law actually DOES. Too often, non-disabled people provide "help" to people with disabilities in a way that actually serves to DIS-empower us and hinder our right to make our own choices--including choices that might lead to risk, if we feel that the potential benefits might outweigh those potential risks. But because there is too little detail provided in this article, it is difficult to judge whether this law will in fact genuniely protect the human rights of Maldivians with disabilities to determine their own destiny to the best extent they can (even if need to receive a little support in the decision making process) or whether it proposes to simply make it easier to take over the lives of people with disabilities, supposedly "for their own good," robbing them of the right to self-determination in the name of [over] protection.
This story needs another paragraph explaining the proposed legislation in more detail. Telling us that it is MEANT to help is not enough. Too many laws that are MEANT to help only violate our rights instead of actually helping.