Users and Survivors of Psychiatry and Allies - Implications of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities

This is a recording of a membership conference call that took place October 18, 2007. Hosted by the US Human Rights Network Coordinating Center, if you would like more information please visit our website www.ushrnetwork.org

Facilitators: Facilitated by: Tina Minkowitz co-chair of the World Networks of Users and Survivors of Psychiatry (WNUSP) & Daniel Hazen human rights activist and advocate with The Mental Patients Liberation Alliance and representative for the Criminal Punishment Working Group of the US Human Rights Network

The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities will have some of its greatest impact in the lives of users and survivors of psychiatry (people who have experienced madness and/or mental health problems, or who have used or survived the mental health system).

For the first time, our rights are guaranteed on an equal basis with others, without any exceptions or limitations. These rights include liberty, free and informed consent in health care, right to live in the community, the right to vote, the right to an adequate standard of living, family rights and parental custody, and most importantly, the exercise of legal capacity in all aspects of life. Age-old practices like guardianship, institutionalization, forced or coercive administration of harmful drugs and invasive procedures, are incompatible with our rights under the CRPD and will have to be ended.

These obligations pose a challenge to governments, since they will have to change their laws and practices to comply. Instead of the old ways that beat people down to "social death," supportive alternatives based in respect for individual dignity, autonomy and integrity have to be created, promoted and funded.

The U.S. government is far from meeting the new standards, despite The Americans with Disabilities Act and a series of mental health "reforms" (some of which, like outpatient commitment, have made the situation worse).

As of today there are close to 2,300,000 people in prison in the U.S. Of these, a large percentage are people with disabilities, many labeled as "mentally ill". With equal rights, people with psychosocial disabilities have equal responsibilities and cannot avert being held accountable for wrong-doing. If we need assistance in meeting our responsibilities, support should be provided.

User/survivor activists and our allies in the United States have a struggle ahead: to promote signature and ratification of CRPD without reservations, pass resolutions of support for CRPD in local and state governments, adopt CRPD as the governing standard on the human rights of users and survivors of psychiatry and campaign for all governments including the U.S. to abide by this standard. The user/survivor movement needs to take its place alongside other human rights movements in the U.S. and insist on an international standard for human rights that can hold our government accountable.

Please see http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/enable/conventioninfo.htm for the text of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and http://www.wnusp.net for advocacy materials prepared by the World Network of Users and Survivors of Psychiatry related to the Convention