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World Health Organisation

London International Model United Nations

19th Session | 2018

Table of Content

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Table of Contents

Table of Contents

Table of Contents ........................................................................................................................................ 2

Introduction Letters .................................................................................................................................. 3

Introduction to the Committee .............................................................................................................. 5

Topic A: Securitisation of Health (infectious disease outbreaks) ............................................. 6 Introduction ............................................................................................................................................................. 6 History of the Problem ......................................................................................................................................... 7 Statement of the Problem ................................................................................................................................. 10 Current Situation ................................................................................................................................................. 12 Bloc Positions ........................................................................................................................................................ 15 Questions a Resolution Should Answer ....................................................................................................... 16 Sources ..................................................................................................................................................................... 17

Topic B: Integration of People with Disabilities into Society ................................................... 22 Introduction ........................................................................................................................................................... 22 History of the Problem ....................................................................................................................................... 23 Statement of the Problem ................................................................................................................................. 25 Current Situation ................................................................................................................................................. 29 Bloc Positions ........................................................................................................................................................ 31 Questions a Resolution Should Address ...................................................................................................... 32 Sources ..................................................................................................................................................................... 32

Conference Information ........................................................................................................................ 35

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Introduction Letters

Dear Delegates,

It is our distinct pleasure and honour to welcome you to the London International

Model United Nations Conference World Health Organisation committee. We are

simulating the World Health Organisation, one of the oldest international bodies and

one devoted to the promotion of Public health and well-being. In this committee, we

will be discussing two very important issues. The first is the Securitisation of Global

Health, which is very relevant in today‘s globalised world, especially nearly one

decade after the Swine Flu epidemic and with other diseases threatening the

world. The second one is the Integration of People with Disabilities into society,

which still remains a problem due to varying models of care for disabled people and

different governmental approaches.

As your chairing staff, we look forward to seeing you come to grips with these topics

and hope that you will have an enjoyable conference. We intend to be a professional,

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yet friendly dais and encourage all delegates to approach us during the conference as

well as get in touch before with any questions. If you want to get in touch with us or

ask any questions please do so on who@limun.co.uk

We look forward to meeting you

Thomas Ron Alex Selway Malcolm Wong

Director Assistant Director Assistant Director

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Introduction to the Committee

The World Health Organisation was founded in 1948. Its headquarters are in

Geneva and as a body it seeks to eradicate disease and illness throughout the

world. It has played a strong role in fighting communicable diseases, and one

of its most high-profile victories was the eradication of smallpox in the 1970s.

It has led the charge against polio as well and hopes to eradicate that particular

scourge as well. However, with modern times the WHO has developed a new

mandate, looking at mental health and disability as well. It has considered

these issues to be not just health issues but issues of integration and seeks to

create a more tolerant world. Furthermore, it has begun to work with other

nations to ensure that there is a globalized framework to fight disease in

general.

Nearly every nation has signed up to the WHO and sends delegates to its

meetings. Every nation is heard equally and works side-by-side in this

organization to foster health and well-being for all. On the whole, the WHO

has been hailed by many international policy experts as a shining example of

international cooperation.

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Topic A: Securitisation of Health (infectious

disease outbreaks)

Introduction

Disease outbreaks occur often in the modern day, and carry high levels of threat to

the regions involved. Epidemics of the same kinds of diseases tend to re-occur time

and time again despite successful efforts in resolving most of the outbreaks we have

faced in the past. With numerous international frameworks and programs in place, the

WHO is the central body in identifying, analysing and mitigating disease outbreaks

through coordinating with the affected regions and providing them with medical

assistance and humanitarian aid. Although outbreak protocols provide an effective

outline for minimising the impact, very often the WHO and the countries involved

are required to make instantaneous decisions depending on the development of the

epidemic. One of the most controversial methods that aims to reduce disease spread

is implementing travel bans. Some would argue that countries are selfish in imposing

such bans due to their desires to only keep themselves safe and not lending a helping

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hand, and some would argue that bans catalyse disease eradication and that this

outweighs the negative economic and humanitarian consequences. Limiting travel

has its pros and cons in terms of national security and disease containment, and it is

very difficult to strike a balance in order to achieve the effective securitisation of

health. There are also many more other variables to consider when planning and

executing solutions for these outbreaks, and only through fostering regional and

global cooperation will the world be ready for the next disease outbreak.

History of the Problem

List of Major Disease Outbreaks in the Past 100 Years[i]

Time Main Affected

Region

Name of Outbreak/Disease Fatalities

1918-

1920

Worldwide Spanish flu (influenza) Over 50

million

1950s-

now

Sub-saharan Africa HIV Over 20

million

1957-

1958

Worldwide Asian flu (influenza) Over 2

million

1968-

1969

Worldwide Hong Kong flu (influenza) Over 1

million

2002-

2003

Asia SARS About 800

2008-

2009

Southern Africa Zimbabwe Cholera Pandemic About 3,500

2009 Worldwide Swine flu (influenza) About 15,000

2010-now Central America Haiti Cholera Outbreak Over 10,000

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2012-now Worldwide Middle East Respiratory Syndrome

(MERS)

Over 500

2013-

2016

West Africa Ebola Over 10,000

2015-

2016

Americas Zika virus About 20

Temporal Trends in Pandemics

Before the 1700s, there were a significant number of plague outbreaks. The plague

pandemic in the 14th century known as the Black Death remains one of the most

worst outbreaks the world has ever witnessed in terms of the number of people

affected and the number of fatalities.

Disease outbreaks in the 18th

century were dominated by measles and smallpox. Both

viral infections, measles is characterised by inflammation and Koplik spots, while

smallpox causes rashes and hard blisters. The WHO declared in 1980 that smallpox

was completely eliminated through a successful international vaccination

campaign[ii].

The variation of diseases increased in the 19th

and 20th century, with some cases of

the plague, measles and smallpox, but also the emergence of new infectious diseases

such as cholera, an acute diarrheal disease, and yellow fever, a viral infection

contracted through mosquito bites. The influenza, on another hand, was one of the

most fatal diseases in the 20th

century, with approximately 80 million related deaths

in this time period alone.

WHO Disease Outbreak Emergency Response

Operationally, the WHO follows the International Health Regulations for specific

action plans [iv]. The IHR is an extremely comprehensive document describing the

appropriate protocols and actions to be taken should certain scenarios arise, while

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also taking into account the fact that disease control interventions should not severely

hinder economic activity in order to compartmentalise and contain damage. Specific

guidelines are addressed for aspects such as but not limited to reducing or

maintaining points of entry to an affected region, instant response dependent on the

disease, medical and personnel provision, temporary measures (instantaneous) and

emergency committees. There are no legal or bureaucratic consequences for non-

compliance with the IHR [xxi], however the country in question may suffer long-

term economic losses due to ineffective disease treatment and eradication, and

undermines the national integrity and reliability of the country on the global stage.

In addition, the organisation formulated the Global Outbreak Alert and Response

Network (GOARN) [v] as a system of experts and institutions of various

sectors/categories to congregate whenever deemed necessary to determine

interventions for a disease outbreak. The WHO also utilises the Global Public Health

Intelligence Network (GPHIN) [xxii] to monitor any early signs or intelligence about

disease outbreaks in the news and social media. Despite the importance of GPHIN in

collecting informal information, it raises significant concern to certain countries as

media surveillance can be used for malicious purposes by nations. This sparks the

controversy that governments may use the system for espionage; the positive

intended nature of the system can be easily exploited with the perfect cover-up story.

The case of Ebola

The WHO was tested by the 2013 outbreak of Ebola, a type of viral hemorrhagic

fever (VHF)[iii]. The unfortunate outbreak was catalysed by high population density

in areas with a lack of hygiene and medical centres in West African countries. The

organisation followed the temporary recommendations (IHR article 15) and

emergency protocols of the IHR, but while the WHO did not impose any travel bans,

other countries, mainly the western world, decided unilaterally to impose bans

themselves. The countries decided that the ban is crucial to protect domestic health

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and national security. On 18th

September 2014, and only for the second time in

history, the UN Security Council passed resolution 2177 aimed to implement

emergency action and reduce isolation in the affected areas [xx]. The full resolution

can be found here: https://www.un.org/press/en/2014/sc11566.doc.htm. Standing

against the unilateral action taken by some countries, the resolution encouraged

countries to lift travel restrictions to allow resources to be easily transported to the

affected areas. The level of securitisation for pandemics causes a big debate in how

much the mitigation strategies limit trade and travel. Strategies like these are

implemented differently according the severity and prevalence of the epidemic. In the

case of Ebola, the travel bans did help isolate the disease, but it also isolated the

people. The eventual lifting of the bans did the opposite, and it is often difficult to

strike a balance between insufficient securitisation and excessive securitisation. The

Ebola battle lasted about four years before the organisation cleared the affected

regions of a state of medical emergency.

Statement of the Problem

Types of Disease Transmission

The two main types of disease transmission are direct and indirect [vi]. Direct

transmission refers to physical human contact and sexually transmitted diseases

(STDs), whereas indirect refers to diseases that do not require human contact to be

spread, and is likely to be airborne or spread through contact with certain materials,

animals, food or contaminated water.

Causes and Catalysts of Pandemics[vii] [viii]

Travel and Trade:

Some describe travel and immigration as the ―mode of transport‖ for infectious

diseases. In modern day society, travelling, whether for leisure or for business, is a

large part of human life. In addition to ever increasing trade capacities and

opportunities to help boost local economies and the global market, this opens up

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more doors for both direct and indirect disease transmission. Plane travel was one of

the culprits that contributed to the dispersion of the Ebola virus in West Africa.

Population, urbanisation and agriculture:

With global population at about 7.5 billion people and no signs of negative

population growth in the near future, this makes the human race more vulnerable to

infections simply because there are more people who could be disease carriers who

could transmit pathogens. Cross-species transmission is the medium of which led to

numerous large-scale outbreaks of fatal diseases such as measles and smallpox. This

is true even in industrialised/factory farming. Though a smaller quantity of animals is

needed to produce the same yield, indoor confinement and exploitation make animals

more susceptible to diseases, of which can consequently be transferred to farmers.

Urbanization and migration to cities lead to increased risk of disease dissemination.

Patel and Burke (2009) describes this phenomenon as ―an emerging humanitarian

disaster‖[x]. Taking the recent Zika outbreak in Brazil for example, the situation was

not helped by the high population density in Brazilian cities, especially in favelas.

Mosquitoes are abundant in Brazil‘s climate and coexist with humans; combined with

the low level of hygiene in poor areas of cities, mosquitoes breed extensively and act

as disease transmitters. In terms of general city growth, sometimes high population

growth can sometimes outstrip healthcare provision and overall cleanliness.

Climate change:

The effects of climate change plays a big role in the development and spread of

diseases[ix]. With warmer climates and possibly higher humidity as well, vector

ecology will change, as stated by the Centre for Disease Control (CDC). For animals

like mosquitoes that thrive in tropical rainforest-like climates, this implies that there

will be more options for mosquitoes to migrate and spread viruses. The Zika virus

and dengue fever are two diseases notorious for being transmitted by mosquitoes.

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The species also brings diseases like cholera and bird flu to humans through cross-

species transmission.

Poverty and health:

The affected populations of pandemics are not only unable to seek medical help

because there is an insufficient number of doctors, but often also because they cannot

afford it. Poverty is also an indicator and reminder that disease outbreaks can be

helped through vaccination, this is exemplified by the fact that pandemics are much

more likely to happen in LEDCs than MEDCs. There are now immunization for

numerous diseases and conditions, but getting these drugs and vaccines have also

proven to be difficult for LEDCs due to poverty, lack of infrastructure and weak

hospital systems, or even the lack thereof.

Lack of knowledge and expertise:

Relating to the poverty determinant mentioned above, local response to an epidemic

is arguably the most crucial aspect of disease containment. First responders, or the

local government and organisations, must be equipped with a high level of medical

expertise and knowledge in order to effectively achieve mitigation. The number of

doctors per capita is generally significantly lower for developing countries than in

developed countries, and thus will be quantitatively lacking in terms of medical

expertise. Moreover, doctors of developing nations may generally be less skilled due

to weak healthcare system, resulting in a qualitative insufficiency in expertise.

Current Situation

Efforts in Mitigating Chemically Induced Outbreaks

Chemically induced outbreaks are rather rare in the context of outbreaks, but cases

are constantly found around the world. In order to combat chemical poisoning, the

organisation initiated the International Programme on Chemical Safety (IPCS)[xi].

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Efforts in reducing chemically induced pandemics are coordinated through

established poison centres[xii]. Such efforts include but are not limited to analysing

toxicology, identifying the source of chemical poisoning, providing medical

diagnosis, recycling programs for related products, ensuring safe working

environments for related occupations, and providing education on chemical

poisoning.

Efforts in Mitigating Environmentally Induced Outbreaks

The four main environmental factors the WHO have defined as pivotal determinants

to the severity of a pandemic are climate, sanitation facilities, water supply and

food[xiii]. Hence, environmentally induced outbreaks are often the result of

conditions such as environmentally (not chemically) contaminated water, lack of

sanitary toilets and/or flushing facilities, warmth and humidity, and food

contaminated with pathogens. The environmental aspect is also often linked to other

aspects. For example, a low level of hygiene could lead to an increase in bacteria and

pathogens, of which then comes into contact with animals, and finally infects

humans. Specific efforts include but are not limited to providing medicine to affected

populations, launching immunization campaigns for mitigation and for prevention,

setting up accessible food banks, ensuring hygiene of water pipes, delivering 24/7

emergency medical services, setting up temporary sanitation facilities, supplying

blood, and shipping health supplies.

Efforts in Mitigating Naturally Induced Outbreaks

Naturally induced outbreaks refer to outbreaks explicitly related to or originating

from animals, not to be confused with environmentally induced outbreaks[xiv].

Naturally induced outbreaks are rather common, with Ebola and MERS believed to

be cross-species diseases (can exist in both humans and animals), and Zika and

dengue fever both originate from mosquitoes. Examples of mitigation strategies

include but are not limited to culling of diseased animals due to high risk of cross-

species transmission to humans (sparks ethical debate), isolation and containment of

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diseased animals, releasing animals injected with antibodies to the wild to transmit to

infected animals, encouraging reduced contact with animals, setting up clinics in

affected regions, and sending experts.

Efforts in Mitigating Radiationally Induced Outbreaks

Radiation induced outbreaks are very rare, but when such radiation related incidents,

such as nuclear plant explosions, happen, they are often of very high severity and

treated with the utmost caution and attention. Two incidents of such explosions are

the Chernobyl disaster in 1986[xv] and the Fukushima disaster in 2011[xvi]. Both

events caused a release of radioactive material. Since radiation is very penetrative, it

affected everyone in the vicinity, and people have consequently had medical effects

in days or even years after the catastrophe such as cancer. In collaboration with the

International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), efforts in mitigating such disasters

include but are not limited to coordinating medical support, advising local councils

and authorities, suggesting evacuation strategies, relaying information to relevant

bodies, and containing victims [xvii].

Dealing with Disease Outbreaks of Unknown Etiology

From time to time, a disease of no known cause emerges, such as the nodding disease

in South Sudan in 1960s [xviii]. When this happens, the WHO acts according to the

best of their knowledge in terms of what the disease resembles and what the likely

cause is. The disease could have risen due to a new pathogen, untraceable radiation,

undetected chemical or new variations of an old disease. Efforts are usually based

around treating patient symptoms and general disease outbreak protocol. A larger

focus is instead put on documenting the details of the disease with the hope that more

answers will arise as time progresses.

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List of Some Current Disease Outbreaks (2017)[xix]

Date Main Affected Region Name of Outbreak/Disease

3rd January China H7N9 Avian Influenza

17th January Saudi Arabia Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS)

5th August Italy Chikungunya

11th September Madagascar Plague

28th September Burkina Faso Dengue Fever

Bloc Positions

Economically-Developed States

Economically developed states often face greater risk of infectious disease outbreaks

due to densely-populated urban regions which allow for quick and easy germination.

These states are also at high risk of transferring infectious diseases due to

interconnectivity through ports and travel. However, advances in medical care for

developed regions like Europe and North America means that the risk is less-likely to

be domestically developed, but is instead likely to derive from ‗importing‘ the

disease through a point of contact. For these states where density would accelerate

the spread of an infectious disease, they must focus on the prevention of outbreaks or

re-emergences of diseases. More economically-developed states may therefore be

inclined to assist less-developed states with finance and technology to research and

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take action to prevent the spread of diseases, and will focus on security for ports of

entry.

Less Economically-Developed States

For these developing states where medical provisions may not be as effective in

reducing mortality, the focus is on early-detection to prevent the spread of infectious

diseases. Securitisation will often be more rudimentary and less effective as there

may be breaches of quarantines if improperly established. Although minimisation of

damage is a key, states within this bloc will often lack the necessary national

surveillance infrastructure to monitor and identify potential outbreaks, creating a

reliance on more-developed states or international organisations to provide this

service. Securitisation is also often more likely to be militarised reactionary force as

logistical organisation of medical screenings and quarantines may not be effective. It

must be noted that some members of this bloc are skeptical of the need to securitise

health: some states in the past have perceived actions led by the United States and

other economically-developed states to be neo-imperial in design, and a threat to

sovereign state conduct.

Questions a Resolution Should Answer

· What should be done to reduce the medical disparities between the developed and

developing world?

· To what extent is collaboration with governments and other organisations crucial

towards preventing the next outbreak?

· How should current protocols and procedures (or parts of it) be revamped or

modified according to the current environmental and geographical conditions?

· What path should future medical research take in order to reduce pandemics?

· What measures need to be taken to extend disease prevention strategies?

· How should the medical world (attempt to) predict the unpredictable? And what

mitigation measures should be taken for diseases with unknown causes?

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[xviii] Who.int. (2017). WHO | Disease outbreaks of unknown etiology. [online] Available at:

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http://www.who.int/csr/alertresponse/epidemicintelligence/en/ [Accessed 7 Nov. 2017].

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(http://fra.europa.eu/sites/default/files/styles/fra_large/public/fra_images/istock_000011779821xlarge.jpg?itok=A-KYBjgb)

Topic B: Integration of People with Disabilities

into Society

Introduction

People with disabilities exist around the world and have certain special requirements

order to be able to function as part of society. However, many nations in the world

fail to recognise this or are unable to cater for the needs of disabled

people. Additionally, not all nations agree on what disability is and often classify

disabilities differently, meaning that some people may slip through the cracks or

some disabilities may not be catered for at all. Furthermore, even those nations that

do cater for disabled people often use different models, with some focusing on

making society more accessible to disabled people, and others treating disability as

something wrong within a person and needing to be changed. The varied nature of

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disability treatment has meant that there is no set way to integrate disabled people

into society and therefore the international community must come together in order to

help disabled people be able to fully integrate into society. However, there are many

obstacles that stand in the way of this goal. Often integration can be expensive and

unpopular, meaning nations are less willing to do so. There can also be large

amounts of social stigma attached to disability that may be hard to get rid of and

cannot necessarily be legislated against. Furthermore, many people may not define

themselves as disabled but still face trouble integrating and therefore may be caught

between the gaps of any system. Therefore, it is incumbent on the international

community to consider all these aspects when calling for solutions

History of the Problem

Physical Disability

Physical impairments have historically received greater attention and support than

mental or psychological counterparts. The transformation of medical science towards

the end of the eighteenth-century into a science of categorisation and understanding

the human body led to a pursuit of identifying what it meant to be ‗normal‘i.

Freakshows of this era epitomise the stigmatisation of oddities which diverged from

the scientifically-established idea of the normal human body, notably in the case of

‗The Elephant Man‘ii.

Human rights were first linked to disabilities with the 1798 Military Disability Law,

which granted relief to sick and injured sailors. The 1750s and 1760s saw the

introduction of schools for the deaf, initially pioneered in Europe. Accessibility of

education was improved initially through Louis Braille‘s invention of the Raised

Point Alphabet in 1829, which created an alphabetised system of translating visual

materials into raised-text that blind persons would be able to read from. Braille‘s

work and commitment to the blind led to the establishment of specialist institutions

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for educating the disabled, which began cropping up throughout the twentieth

century.

The cost of World War One meant that many soldiers returned from war physically

impaired, often with amputations. The United States of America in particular initiated

primitive rehabilitation and incorporation programmes for wounded veterans,

guaranteeing job counselling and vocational training. The work of Franklin Delano

Roosevelt as a disabled president was later regarded as a milestone for the integration

of the disabled into society, and his work in 1935 led to the Social Security Act of

1935 which shaped much of future international legislation on government assistance

for disabled adults.

The United Nations became involved with disability rehabilitation from 1950, with a

report into the rehabilitation of the handicapped and the social rehabilitation of the

blind, both of which sought to improve the education and treatment of those with

disabilities. The established Social Commission later attempted to incorporate

educating public opinion alongside the regulation of rehabilitation services to

promote independence the contribution disabled persons can make into societyiii

.

The 1970s saw increasing awareness globally towards equality for the disabled,

which until this point had largely emanated from Westernised regions of the world. In

particular, 1975 saw the Declaration on the Rights of Disabled Persons stipulating

full equality be granted to disabled persons, and was produced alongside calls for the

elimination of physical and architectural barriers to the full social integration of

persons with disabilities. National committees involving 141 countries and territories

worked to improve the socioeconomic condition of disabled persons, culminating in

the 1981 Year of the Disabled Person which was dedicated to removing barriers in

human settlements impeding full participation and integration into the community.

To this end, disability policy was divided formally into rehabilitation and the

equalisation of opportunities.

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To the end of the millennium, numerous summits affirmed the rights of the disabled

persons, while attempting to move policy away from creating dependence on

governments and encouraging the individuality of the disabled.

13 December 2006 introduced the Convention on the Rights of Persons with

Disabilities and it was subsequently adopted by the General Assembly, entering force

from 2008. Most recently in 2011, the World Report on Disability, produced by the

WHO and World Bank, comprehensively outlines the current issues facing disabled

persons globally, and outlines optimal policies for their care and integration into the

wider communityiv.

Non-Physical Disability

Non-physical disabilities have received less direct attention regarding policies for

integration within the community. Common non-physical disabilities include learning

disabilities, mental illnesses, and diseases such as Alzheimer's.

Mental health patients prior to the 1900s were typically termed to be suffering from

―madness‖ and were therefore ostracised and isolated from their communities. Many

were relegated to insane asylums, colloquially termed as ‗madhouses‘, which were

permitted to impose sterilisations and even lobotomies on patients. Such practices

were not even ignored, but were instead ruled as constitutional in places like the

United States. Such practices have since been discontinued, but up until the end of

the twentieth century non-physical disabilities received less attention and support

than physical counterparts.

Statement of the Problem

Types of disabilities

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Disability is a very complicated issue and to attempt to classify all disabilities is next

to impossible. However, there tend to be three areas that can make an attempt to

cover all disabilities. Bear in mind that often there is crossover and one form of

disability can often lead to another one.

Impairments and Physical Disabilities

Impairments are disabilities which are primarily physical and affect body

function. These are the disabilities people immediately tend to think about and also

tend to be the most apparent. People who have loss of mobility, hearing, sight, or

other such issues fall under this category. Integrating these types of disabilities can

be challenging and costly. For some people who have been recently injured and are

temporarily disabled, often therapy or treatment can help bring them back or mitigate

the issue. However, when this is unsuccessful, often changes need to be made in

order to integrate them properly. Often this involves changing areas to make them

more accessible. Providing ramps for wheelchair access is often quite important, as

is having dropped curbs on streets, or making sure sidewalks are wide enough for a

wheelchair user to get past. In areas where this cannot be done having clear

alternatives or training for public servants can often help mitigate these issues. Often

having a carer may be necessary and states may have to help fund these especially for

those who cannot. For those who are visually impaired, providing texts and maps in

braille may be necessary. For those who are hearing impaired hearing loops and sign

language education are potential solutions. Of course, some people who are disabled

like this may not even wish to change back. Amongst deaf people there is an

increasing level of deaf culture which embraces deafness and states that the solution

is teaching people how to use sign language and communicate with them, rather than

fixing their condition. Of course almost all these changes to help these people

integrate can be expensive and require a lot of work and funding.

Neurodiversityv

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Neurodiversity constitutes a large number of behavioural differences and learning

disabilities. People who are neurodiverse often do not exhibit obvious signs of

disability but often have differences in how they perceive the world which hampers

them in society. Examples of this include Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD),

Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD), and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), as

well as many others. Often people who are neurodiverse have trouble understanding

societal norms and their behaviour often ostracises them from the rest of society and

in extreme cases inhibits their ability to function at all. Integrating such people into

society presents a challenge. Some nations have insisted on behavioural therapy

which may try to help such people put on a more normal facade or almost overcome

their disabilities, while institutionalising the extreme cases. Other nations have

stressed the importance of early education to teach people about these differences, as

well as to help neurodiverse people accept their condition and find ways to maximise

their potential, as well as advocating on their behalf and providing them legal

protections so they can contribute to the workforce and not be discriminated against

by a neurotypical society. However, often education systems in less-developed

nations are ill-equipped and unable to provide this quality of education, meaning that

integration is quite difficult.

Mental Health

Mental Health constitutes disabilities that affect someone‘s psychological well-

being. Examples of this include depression, anxiety disorder, phobias, and

schizophrenia to name but a few. Just like with neurodiversity their conditions may

not be apparent but can be just as disabling as physical disabilities. When it comes to

mental health the treatments can be quite varied. Some nations see mental health

disorders as signs of weakness and do not attempt to treat them either due to lack of

resources or due to the stigma in society towards reporting such issues. Other nations

have made mental health a priority and provided protections under the law as well as

made improvements in the kind of care and therapy people with mental health issues

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can access. As with all other forms of disability setting up these systems can be

costly and therefore where they don‘t exist integration can be very difficult.

Models of Disability Rights

Medical Model of Disabilityvi

The Medical Model of Disability is one that is mainly used by nations who have only

recently begun to discuss treatments towards disabled people. It treats disability as

something that is wrong with the person and something that needs to be treated. The

idea with this model is that disabled people are sick, with something specifically

wrong with them, which needs to be labelled and treated so they can have a ‗normal‘

life. It puts the onus on the person to seek help and be treated and states that they can

never integrate with society as long as they are disabled. Those that it cannot treat

tend to be institutionalised and treatment is geared towards maintaining the status quo

rather than improving the lives of disabled people.

Social Model of Disabilityvii

The Social Model of Disability is one that is increasingly gaining traction in the

western world and in developed nations. The idea of this model is that disabled

people have trouble integrating due to society‘s unwillingness to change and

accommodate them and their differences. It treats disability as a difference and a

societal issue, and the onus should be on society to remove those barriers that prevent

their full inclusion into society. This model claims that the best way to help disabled

people integrate into society and live their lives to the fullest is by listening and

accommodating their needs by evolving, such as teaching British Sign Language,

having inclusive education that anyone can access, providing accessible areas,

etc. This model is favoured by disability rights groups.

29

Current Situation

The current situation can largely be understood through assessing the barriers facing

disabled persons inhibiting their ability to integrate into communitiesviii

.

Barriers to Health Care

In rural areas and less developed countries, services are often not deliverable or

provided directly, however the cost and difficulty of transport for disabled persons

may therefore render access to healthcare relatively inaccessible. Legislation at both

international, regional, and national levels attempt to promote the accessibility,

affordability, availability, and quality of healthcare at a level equivalent to the

healthcare provided to able persons in the community, and to therefore promote

greater inclusivity. This lends itself to advocation of public health systems, and

dedicated specialists to provide comprehensive tailored care.

Barriers to Rehabilitation

These barriers are very similar to those provided for health care. But rehabilitation

often is perceived to be less important in comparison to immediate health care, which

results in underfunding. From prosthetics to hearing aids, unmet needs for

rehabilitation goods are often due to the sheer expense of provision in less-developed

areas. In regards to services, such as therapy, this is even less prioritised and

underprovided. Even in relatively developed areas, services are underprovided which

leads to overcrowding, long waiting times, and in extreme cases the temporary

inaccessibility of a service which cannot be provided at all times. Funding and human

resources again construct a major barrier globally to the provision of rehabilitation

which is crucial for integration into communities.

Physical and Information Barriers

Barriers in both the physical and information sense can impede full integration of

persons with disabilities. The simple inability to enter buildings greatly restricts

30

mobility and can prevent access to education, health, toilets, and work. While many

laws act to ensure accessibility, there is no strict monitoring or enforcement to ensure

essential buildings are fully accessible. Transportation is another major issue, as

those without accessible transport such as the inability to board buses means disabled

persons are excluded from services and social contact. Simple obstacles such as road

crossings can prevent physical impediments to physically disabled persons who may

be blind, deaf, or handicapped. The inability to communicate or access information is

another major impediment - the absence of braille or interpreters for the deaf will

inhibit the ability for disabled persons to receive information. This is also true for

those with learning impairments, who will need information presented in a clear and

simple manner

Work and Employment

There are numerous barriers preventing entry to the labour market, many of which

stem from an absence of effective education, or prior barriers which prevented the

development of skills. This places disabled persons at an immediate gap and

disadvantage in comparison to the abled who have received education. Beyond

physical barriers to buildings, which can still be problematic, people may not be

aware of job openings if barriers preventing access to information exist.

Discrimination and misconceptions about disability may prevent access to

promotions based on the prejudice that disabled persons are less-productive than able

counterparts. Misconceptions can create social conditions which erode the self-

expectations of disabled persons, leading to an absence of desire to expend effort to

apply for jobs which are inherently ‗out of reach‘. Those with mental health

impediments often feel the need to conceal their impediments for fear of being

disadvantaged on these grounds.

Another interesting lens is the overprotection of workers, which has recently begun to

be explored. Longer rest periods, paid leave, and greater severance pay are mandated

by several countries in Europe, irrespective of need. Although done in the best

31

interest, this can have a counterproductive effect as employers may view disabled

workers as less productive and more costly to hire.

Bloc Positions

Economically Developed States

Most of the Western world has adopted the social model of disability and seeks to

promote integration by creating an accessible society. Many of them are home to

disabled rights groups who seek to promote their agendas and lobby the government

to support disabled people and help integration. They tend to have strong policies

favouring education as a way to facilitate integration, as well as counselling

services. They also have strong medical care for those who need it and often devote

a decent proportion of their health budgets towards disability and especially mental

health.

Less Economically Developed States

Often these states are unable to provide for disabled people or help them integrate

into society. The stigma around disability, especially mental health issues, means

that there is no pressure for them to do so by their people and often acute health

issues take precedence. Furthermore, without strong education on disability often the

issues are seen as medical rather than social, meaning that the onus is only on one

place, rather than being on all aspects of society to improve on the integration of

disabled people. Often these nations have stated a commitment to improve on

disabled integration but lack the funds and require some more.

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Questions a Resolution Should Address

● How should a universal definition of disability be introduced to ensure a

universal appreciation of the term and its impact on people?

● Should the United Nations be responsible to ensure the adequate provision of

treatment or rehabilitation facilities and compliance with legal protocol, and

where should governments obtain funding for these facilities?

● Should a single model be internationally applied in the identification and

treatment of disabilities?

● In what ways can national, regional and international governments and

organisations better improve integration and accessibility for the disabled?

● What initiatives can be utilised to mainstream the challenges faced by persons

with non-physical disabilities, and how can these disabilities be better

mainstreamed alongside physical disabilities in public perception?

● How should the United Nations move forward in policy terms to ensure the

human rights of disabled persons are not infringed?

Sources

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with Disabilities Under United States and International Law. Disability Rights

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https://dredf.org/news/publications/disability-rights-law-and-policy/the-right-to-

community-integration-for-people-with-disabilities-under-united-states-and-

international-law/#sdfootnote1sym

Equality and Human Rights Commission. (2017). UN Convention on the Rights of

Persons with Disabilities. [online] Accessed via:

www.equalityhumanrights.com/en/our-human-rights-work/monitoring-and-

promoting-un-treaties/un-convention-rights-persons-disabilities

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Office of the High Commissioner of Human Rights. (No date). Committee On The

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united-nations.html

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WHO. (No date). United Nations Standard Rules on the Equalization of

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Armstrong, Thomas (2010). Neurodiversity: Discovering the Extraordinary Gifts of

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Armstrong, Thomas (2012). Neurodiversity in the Classroom: Strength-Based

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Nations‖. Accessed via http://www.un.org/development/desa/disabilities/about-us/history-of-disability-and-the-united-

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1

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