Using the Capability Approach to Review the National Legislative Frameworks for Support Services for Persons with Disabilities in Four Countries in Asia

Abstract

Implementation of the United Nations Convention on the rights of persons with disabilities (UN CRPD) requires countries to harmonise their legislative frameworks with it. This paper investigates the national legislative frameworks of four Asian countries to see the extent to which they provide support services in accordance with Article 19 of the UN CRPD. The UN CRPD requires persons with disabilities to have access to and choice and control over support services. To analyse the policy alignment with the UN CRPD, an analytical framework based on the Capability Approach (CA) was developed. The results show that most countries address support services, including assistive devices, only from the perspective of a social security measure for persons with disabilities living in poverty, failing to uphold the rights of those not meeting those eligibility criteria. However, while support services are inseparably linked to social security, they also are a right for persons with disabilities. Therefore, a paradigm shift is required in the approach of support services and the distributive systems of countries, from one that addresses persons with disabilities as those requiring care considered a burden, to one that considers them rights holders with equal opportunities, for which, support services are a pre-requisite.

Research Trends of Studies on Psychosocial and Health-Related Behaviours of Foreign Domestic Workers in Asia Pacific: A Bibliometric Analysis

“…These workers, predominantly from Southeast Asian countries including Indonesia, Philippines, Myanmar, Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia, and Laos, are in high demand for the provision of domestic assistance and caregiving services in countries like Singapore, Hong Kong SAR, Malaysia, Taiwan, and various others across the region [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ]. The increasing demand for FDWs in Asian countries can be attributed to several key factors, including the prevalence of dual-income structures of families [ 5 ], ageing populations [ 2 ], and the need for additional support in managing household chores [ 6 ] as well as caring for children [ 7 ], elderly [ 4 ], family members [ 8 ], or people with disabilities [ 9 ].…”

Assistive Technology and the Wellbeing of Societies from a Capabilities Approach

“…Austin and Holloway [6] revisit foundational writings of capability theory and make the case for assistive technology as a global strategy for human flourishing delivered within a disability justice framework. Country-level AT policy is critically evaluated through a capability lens within Russia (Shoshmin et al [7]), India, Nepal, the Philippines and South Korea (Gupta et al [8]). Innovations in provision designed to enhance capabilities are described by Maalim and MacLachlan [9] (the AT Passport in Ireland) and by Boccardi et al [10] (Makerspaces in North America).…”