25412
Living up to the Ethical Obligation to Secure the Rights of Individuals with Autism in Developing Countries
Following World War II the United Nations Assembly, backed by 47 nations, enshrined key aspirations such as dignity, equality, freedom and respect in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights to, at a minimum, guard “against tyranny and oppression” (p. 71, Section 217 A, para.3). Since then, more than 70 treaties, including the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (United Nations, 2006), have been signed to further secure these inalienable rights for “vulnerable” populations. Yet, according to a 2011 report by the World Health Organization these basic provisions continue to elude most of the world’s 1 billion people with disabilities (most of who live in the developing world). Their progress is continually hindered by attitudinal, financial, and/or physical barriers in key social institutions.
Objectives:
The purpose of this conference discussion is to engage an interdisciplinary audience to contemplate the following question: What would it take for developed countries to share their expertise and resources with key constituencies in developing countries in order to positively impact the outcomes of children with autism?
Methods:
The impetus for this question stems from a service learning work experience in one resource limited country, Barbados that lead the authors to lead a series of workshops for parents of children with autism . These parents sought the knowledge, the expertise and key understandings about how to direct the inner lives of their children, and if they to have been provided adequate resources and training, would be able to do much more on behalf of the children and families with autism.
Results: N/A
Conclusions:
The authors hope that the question they pose for discussion would generate ideas for collaborating to both develop studies and outreach programs aimed at assisting parents and educators of children with autism in less resource-rich countries where access to well-established therapies and resources are scarce !