Introduction
This document was created in collaboration with Dementia Alliance International (DAI), the international organization of people living with dementia, in order to enable Alzheimer associations to monitor the protection of the rights of persons with dementia under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD).
The questions this brief seeks to answer are:
- How can the CRPD enable people with dementia to claim their human rights in their country?
- Who are the Alzheimer associations’ potential partners in monitoring the Convention?
- When is a country due to present its national report on the implementation of the Convention?
Why is this brief important?
The CRPD provides a tool to enable people with dementia to claim their rights. People with dementia are often denied their human rights and can experience social isolation and poor quality support.
People with dementia are protected by the CRPD because dementia is a major cause of disability and dependency influenced by symptoms, environments, discrimination and inequality.
This brief:
- Provides information on the CPRD Committee.
- Connects the Articles of the CRPD to key concerns of people with dementia and current
developments in dementia. For example, efforts to improve the awareness of dementia
such as dementia friendly communities relates to Article 8 of the Convention. - Explains how Alzheimer associations can highlight issues for people with dementia under
the system in place for monitoring the Convention. - Provides helpful resources and links and an example of a submission made by a group of
Canadian disability organizations, including the Ontario Dementia Advisory Group (people
with dementia) and the Alzheimer’s Society of Canada.
Alzheimer associations are encouraged to work with national country disability groups and persons with dementia to influence decision-makers about how the rights of people with dementia are required to be upheld by governments under the CRPD.
