Disability Rights
Worldwide, more than 1 billion individuals have a disability. In many countries, people with disabilities face countless abuses: they are denied the chance to go to school, languish for years in institutions, are subjected to horrific violence, or chained in their own homes - simply because they have a disability. This is often because of entrenched stigma, archaic laws and a lack of community-based services essential to ensuring their rights, as laid out in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Human Rights Watch works to investigate and expose these hidden abuses, and advocate for change to improve the lives of people with disabilities, in partnership with them and their organizations across the globe. Read more about our disability rights workand thestories of the people we have metand collaborated with as we collectively work toward a world where every person enjoys their rights and dignity.
One Billion People with Disabilities and Older People Leading Change around the WorldOctober 16, 2023
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Videos
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Reports
More reports- July 8, 2025 Report
Punished For Getting Older
South Korea’s Age-based Policies and Older Workers’ Rights
- December 3, 2024 Report
“It Felt Like Everything in Life Stopped”
Legal Capacity Rights Violations Against People with Disabilities in Canada’s Immigration Detention System
- September 30, 2024 Report
“They Destroyed What Was Inside Us”
Children with Disabilities Amid Israel’s Attacks on Gaza
- September 25, 2024 Report
“I, Too, Wish to Enjoy the Summer”
Gaps in Support Systems for People with Disabilities in Uruguay
News
- December 3, 2025 News Release
Mexico City: New Era for People with Disabilities and Older Persons
New Guide Aims to Help Realize Potential of Key Legal Capacity Reform
- December 3, 2025 Background Briefing
Roadmap for Change
The Path Toward Implementing the Legal Capacity Reform in Mexico City
- December 3, 2025 News Release
Malawian Disability Rights Advocate Honored
Hilda Macheso Receives Sixth Marca Bristo Fellowship at Human Rights Watch
- November 14, 2025 News Release
Mexico City: Proposed Public Care System Lacking Disability Rights
Prevent Risk of Abuse, Dependency for People with Disabilities
- November 4, 2025 Letter
Human Rights Watch Letter to Participants of the 4th EU-CELAC Summit
- October 15, 2025 Dispatches
Mexico’s Supreme Court Steps Forward but Falls Short
Disability Rights Hearing Announced Without Reasonable Time to Participate
- October 9, 2025 Dispatches
On Mental Health Day, End Coercion, Embrace Dignity
Create Rights-Based Systems to Offer Autonomy, Choice, Support
- October 2, 2025 News Release
Mexico: Supreme Court Risks Weakening Disability Rights
Decision Eases Requirement to Consult with People with Disabilities
- September 24, 2025 Dispatches
Protecting Disability Rights Means Rebuking Harmful Autism Myths
Families of Children with Autism Deserve Access to Health, Education, and Community
Our people
To mark the 10th anniversary of our Disability Rights Division, we are publishing a series of dispatches on a range of topics to advance the rights of people with disabilities and older people.
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Hundreds of thousands of men, women, and children across 60 countries are chained, simply for having a mental health condition. Together, we can help end this inhumane practice. Visit our new interactive page to learn more and pledge today to #BreakTheChains!
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