The Persons with Disability Unit (PWDU)
Based on article 21 of the Law on Structure and Mandates of the AIHRC, the PWDU alongside other program units, was established in 2005 to protect, promote and monitor human rights of the people with disability. This unit is active in 8 provincial offices of Kabul, Herrat, Mazar-e-Sharif, Bamian, kundoz, Jalalabad, Kandahar and Gardaiz. A total of 11 employees including 8 persons with disability out of them two women with disability are working in this unit. According to strategic and four year action plan of the AIHRC ( 2010- 2013) this unit alongside other program units work for achieving five goals of the Commission that are leadership, training, empowering, advocacy and monitoring and carries out its programs accordingly.
Section one: Leadership, Training, Advocacy and Empowerment
In relation to training programs, the PWDU has good relations with Human Rights Education Unit and annually hold a specific number of workshops on the rights of persons with disability. Topics about the law on the rights and privileges for the persons with disability are also included in the agenda of these workshops. Awareness programs on the rights of persons with disability are regularly conducted to raise public awareness, including unions of the persons with disability and other institutions active in the sector of disability. These programs have played a positive role in raising awareness among the people with disability about their legal rights. Similarly the obligations of responsible authorities towards the people with disability have been shared with participants of these training workshops which had a valuable impact on changing the situation of the people with disability and now they have a better status in the society. Preparation and broadcasting of radio and TV programs and publication of posters and handouts on empowerment of the persons with disability have played an eye-catching role in raising awareness among the people with disability. The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disability have been translated in Dari, Pashto, Uzbecki, Turkmani, Babluchi, Pashaee, brail and sign languages and put at the disposal of the persons with disability. This is the first human rights document in 21st century which has been translated and distributed so widely in different languages of this country. Preparation and publication of a monthly in brail is an important activity of this unit which is prepared and distributed by regional offices in Herrat, Mazar-e-Sharif and Kabul. They have been put at the disposal of visually impaired persons which have been proved very useful. The AIHRC has consistently made effective efforts to build the capacity of its staff including the staff of this unit, and other related governmental and nongovernmental institutions through holding training workshops, attending in conferences, seminars inside and outside the county. Inclusion and giving employment priority to eligible persons with disability as mentioned in the strategic planning of the AIHRC indicates that the Commission believes in empowerment of the people with disability and prepares the ground for them to take different posts. This fact is clearly mentioned in all its job announcements. In accordance with the action plan, the section for promotion and protection of the rights of persons with disability alongside other program units makes advocacy efforts for protection and promotion of the rights of persons with disability to establish leadership advocacy committees for promulgation of the law on the rights and privileges of persons with disability and joining to the Universal Conventions of the Persons with Disability to protect and promote human rights of such people. Advocacy committees have been established in eight regional office of the AIHRC up till now and together with state and civil society institutions through evaluation and needs assessments they carry out their advocacy activities. With establishment and support of advocacy networks for insurance of all human rights of the persons with disability they carry out their activities. One of the important achievements made by the advocacy committees in the center and regional offices in cooperation with other civil society institutions as well as national and international institutions active in the area of disability is ratification of the law on the rights and privileges of persons with disability. Another achievement is adherence of Afghanistan to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disability and the Convention on Prevention of Cluster Ordnances which cause disability among women and children in our country. The PWDU together with members of advocacy committees for the rights persons with disability has played an important role in marking universal days of the people with disability such as (third of December- Universal White Cane Day, Universal Peace Day and others. Through contacting interviews on local radios and television stations about various topics of disability these days were celebrated and played its important role in enlightening public mentalities. Another achievement made by this unit in cooperation with advocacy committees is preparing the ground for physical accessibility of the persons with disability to public utilities and buildings which gave good results. Establishment of a school for vision and hearing impaired persons in Mazar-e-Sharif is another achievement made by this unit in cooperation with members of advocacy committees. Cooperation between this unit and state institutions on advocacy for the rights persons with disability is under necessary consideration and fruitful efforts are continuing for insurance of political rights and necessary amendments in the law on the rights and privileges of persons with disability.
Part Two: Monitoring
For the purpose of monitoring on human rights situation of persons with disability including their rights to (employment, health, education and physical access to public utilities) and their other human rights, this unit has made serious efforts. After enforcement of the law on the rights and privileges of persons with disability and ratification of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disability, this unit has monitored implementation of these documents. For this reason especial forms have been designed to enable us to monitor their human rights situation and pave the ground for their integration in different areas of social life and to enable them enjoy equal life and respect as normal persons in the society. Monitoring on the rights of physical access of persons with disability to public utilities and buildings has been carried out and a research report in this area is going to be published.