Rehabilitation: a fundamental pillar to implement the UN-CRPD in society
18.03.2026
Online
In 2006, the UN-Convention of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities was adopted by the UN General Assembly. Even though relevant progress has been made in the implementation of disability rights and inclusion for all persons with disabilities, there is still much to do in order to reach full equality and inclusion and, in particular to implement the principles of the UN-CRPD a country level.
Rehabilitation and inclusion are often described as alternative strategies. Inclusion is a societal approach to facilitate full participation for persons with disabilities in all areas of life and sectors of society. It is – per definition – generic which means that it targets all physical and society barriers. Rehabilitation is a strategy that focuses on individuals to empower them to achieve optimal functioning in interaction with the environment. It always must be tailored to the individual needs. The rehabilitation strategy does not only focus on health and functioning, but also on education, work and employment, leisure and sports as well as participation in social, political and religious life.
The workshop will concentrate on the implementation of rehabilitation services in health systems at national levels, or – so to speak – on the implementation of Article 26 of the UN-CRPD.
Time: 14:00–16:00 CET
First of all, it is crucial to understand the principles of rehabilitation and differentiate it from medical treatments. All rehabilitation measures must support the empowerment of persons win need to fully participate in life. This implies that rehabilitation goals always have to be defined by the user/person in need and the decision on interventions must be taken in a participatory way. Rehabilitation services must be accessible and affordable for all persons in need irrespective of individual impairments.
Rehabilitation services are organizational units to deliver rehabilitation interventions. They must be able to deliver high-quality services. This implies that rehabilitation services must be specialized on specific health conditions. However, generic rehabilitation services must be available at the primary care level and in the community too.
It is very important to understand that rehabilitation as a strategy must be implemented at all levels of health care and along the continuum of care. This includes acute rehabilitation (in hospitals), post-acute rehabilitation services, and long-term rehabilitation care. In most cases or settings, a multi-professional approach is needed, and the provision of assistive devices must integrative part of rehabilitation services.
In order to implement rehabilitation services, a number of aspects must be considered:
- political will and commitment and the integration of rehabilitation as part of health policies,
- the analysis of rehabilitation needs at population level (epidemiology of functioning),
- a conceptual framework of rehabilitation services needed and a plan for implementation,
- a sufficient capacity and high quality of a multi-professional rehabilitation workforce,
- guidelines and quality management of rehabilitation program and interventions, and
- a systematic implementation strategy or implementation plan, respectively.
During the webinar, important principles will be discussed and practical hints will be given. This includes arguments for advocacy for rehabilitation at national levels as well as recommended steps towards im-plementation of services.
A Q & A session will be part of the workshop and sharing experiences of the participants is very much welcomed.
Rehabilitation International
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