Amy Raub, Isabel Latz, Aleta Sprague, Michael Ashley Stein & Jody Heymann, Constitutional Rights of Persons with Disabilities: An Analysis of 193 National Constitutions, 29 Harv. Hum. Rts. J. 203 (2016).
Abstract: This article examines the extent to which all 193 UN member states guarantee the rights of persons with disabilities in their national constitutions based on fundamental human rights outlined in the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. As of May 2014, constitutions most commonly explicitly guarantee rights to persons with disabilities in education (28%), health (26%), and overall equity (24%). Fewer constitutions specifically guarantee the right to work or non-discrimination at work (18%), political rights (21-22%), or civil rights (9%) to persons with disabilities. Additionally, many constitutions permit denials of the right to liberty (19%) and political rights (22%-31%) for persons with mental health conditions. Although constitutional guarantees of rights for persons with disabilities are present in only a minority of constitutions, we find a significant increase in the inclusion of relevant provisions in constitutions adopted more recently, particularly those adopted in 2010 or later, across all regions.