The Center for International Rehabilitation (CIR) and Disabled Peoples' International (DPI) today presented the International Disability Rights Monitor (IDRM) Regional Report of Asia at the United Nations. The IDRM report provides vital data about disability rights as the United Nations continues to debate a proposed International Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities.

The Regional Report of Asia found that Japan and China are the most inclusive countries for people with disabilities, while India and Cambodia are the least inclusive. The report focused on seven countries: China, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, India, Japan and the Philippines.

"There are over 600 million people with disabilities across the globe, and it is vital that we properly document their status and condition," said CIR President Maria Reina. "This report begins the process of developing a clear and concise account of how the governments across Asia are responding to the needs of people with disabilities in their countries."

The Asia report was compiled over the course of 12 months and focused on several key areas such as legal protections, education and employment, accessibility, health and housing services for people with disabilities in Asia.
The majority of the countries have comprehensive disability laws and policies designed to improve the status of people of with disabilities; however, in reality people with disabilities still face exclusion on a daily basis.

No countries provide adequate basic protections in each of the categories measuring the actual implementation of disability rights. The areas of accessibility, education and employment show the greatest disparity between rights and reality. For instance in the Philippines, 20% of children with disabilities have never attended school despite the existence of a law requiring that quality education be made available to them. In India, 74% of people with disabilities and 94% of people with intellectual disabilities are unemployed.

This is the second report of the International Disability Rights Monitor (IDRM), a groundbreaking initiative by the CIR, DPI and other members of the disability community to document and assess disability rights and abuses in every country across the globe. The mission of the IDRM is to promote the full inclusion and participation of people with disabilities in society and to advance the use of international humanitarian law in ensuring that the rights of people with disabilities are respected and enforced. The first IDRM, the Report of the Americas, was published in August 2004.

The Center for International Rehabilitation is a not-for-profit, non-governmental organization that seeks to improve the lives of people with disabilities in some of the poorest countries by providing rehabilitation and training programs and mobility aides, and advocating the rights of people with disabilities worldwide. Founded in 1996 by Dr. William Kennedy Smith and based in Chicago, the CIR operates in collaboration with the renowned Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago and Northwestern University.

DPI is a network of national organizations of disabled people, established to promote the human rights of disabled people through full participation, equalization of opportunity and development. Founded in 1981, Disabled Peoples' International (DPI) is a global organization, headquartered in Canada, with National Assemblies in 135 countries. Regional offices operate in Latin America, Africa, Asia/Pacific, Europe and the Caribbean.

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