CRPD jurisprudence on Assistive Technologies through Concluding Observations: An analysis from Global South perspectives

Introduction:

The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) recognizes the importance of assistive technology to enable persons with disabilities to live independently and fully participate in society. The CRPD has defined the obligations of States Parties to promote the use, research, development, production, and distribution of assistive technology, making it affordable and widely available for persons with disabilities. The Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD Committee) is building on this jurisprudence by issuing concluding observations with concrete recommendations for States Parties to take measures for ensuring access to assistive technologies for persons with disabilities. The Committee has undertaken more than 100 State reviews throughout the course of its 28 sessions (as of July 2023) and made recommendations involving assistive technologies in its concluding observations. This article analyzes these concluding observations, focusing on assistive technology-related recommendations for Global South countries.