Disability rights in Higher Education Programs: The case of medical schools and other health-related disciplines

Recognising and respecting the human rights of persons with disabilities constitutes an integral element of a democratic society. This caveat has been long articulated in health professionals’ rhetoric on the importance of embedding a human rights discourse in the protection and promotion of individual and global health. Having signed and ratified the International Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD), state parties are expected to educate doctors and other health professionals to understand the human rights dimension of disability. This article is concerned with exploring the extent to which the programmes and curriculum outlines in medical schools and other health-related academic disciplines are informed by concerns about promoting disability rights education. Further, it discusses some future directions for monitoring the implementation of a disability rights discourse and suggests some ways in which a rights-based approach to disability can be incorporated in higher education programmes and curricula for health-related disciplines.