Promoting the Rights of Children with Disabilities, UNICEF

(b) Protect the rights of persons with disabilities, onan equal basis with others, to just and favourableconditions of work, including equal opportunities andequal remuneration for work of equal value, safe andhealthy working conditions, including protection fromharassment, and the redress of grievances;(c) Ensure that persons with disabilities are able toexercise their labour and trade union rights on anequal basis with others;(d) Enable persons with disabilities to have effectiveaccess to general technical and vocational guidanceprogrammes, placement services and vocational andcontinuing training;(e) Promote employment opportunities and careeradvancement for persons with disabilities in thelabour market, as well as assistance in finding,obtaining, maintaining and returning to employment;(f) Promote opportunities for self-employment,entrepreneurship, the development of cooperativesand starting one’s own business;(g) Employ persons with disabilities in the publicsector;(h) Promote the employment of persons withdisabilities in the private sector through appropriatepolicies and measures, which may include affirmativeaction programmes, incentives and other measures;(i) Ensure that reasonable accommodation is providedto persons with disabilities in the workplace;(j) Promote the acquisition by persons with disabilitiesof work experience in the open labour market;(k) Promote vocational and professional rehabilitation,job retention and return-to-work programmes forpersons with disabilities.2. States parties shall ensure that persons withdisabilities are not held in slavery or in servitude, andare protected, on an equal basis with others, fromforced or compulsory labour.Article 28Adequate standard of living and social protection1. States parties recognize the right of persons withdisabilities to an adequate standard of living forthemselves and their families, including adequatefood, clothing and housing, and to the continuousimprovement of living conditions, and shall takeappropriate steps to safeguard and promote therealization of this right without discrimination on thebasis of disability.2. States parties recognize the right of persons withdisabilities to social protection and to the enjoymentof that right without discrimination on the basisof disability, and shall take appropriate steps tosafeguard and promote the realization of this right,including measures:(a) To ensure equal access by persons withdisabilities to clean water services, and to ensureaccess to appropriate and affordable services,devices and other assistance for disability-relatedneeds;(b) To ensure access by persons with disabilities,in particular women and girls with disabilities andolder persons with disabilities, to social protectionprogrammes and poverty reduction programmes;(c) To ensure access by persons with disabilitiesand their families living in situations of poverty toassistance from the State with disability-relatedexpenses, including adequate training, counselling,financial assistance and respite care;(d) To ensure access by persons with disabilities topublic housing programmes;(e) To ensure equal access by persons withdisabilities to retirement benefits and programmes.Article 29Participation in political and public lifeStates parties shall guarantee to persons withdisabilities political rights and the opportunity toenjoy them on an equal basis with others, and shallundertake to:(a) Ensure that persons with disabilities caneffectively and fully participate in political and publiclife on an equal basis with others, directly or throughfreely chosen representatives, including the right andopportunity for persons with disabilities to vote andbe elected, inter alia, by:(i) Ensuring that voting procedures, facilities andmaterials are appropriate, accessible and easy tounderstand and use;(ii) Protecting the right of persons with disabilitiesto vote by secret ballot in elections and publicreferendums without intimidation, and to stand forelections, to effectively hold office and performall public functions at all levels of government,facilitating the use of assistive and new technologieswhere appropriate;(iii) Guaranteeing the free expression of the willof persons with disabilities as electors and to thisend, where necessary, at their request, allowingassistance in voting by a person of their own choice;Innocenti Digest No. 13Promoting the Rights of Children with Disabilities60