Bringing an International Lens to Domestic Disability Work

The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) was adopted in 2006. As the first and so far only comprehensive human rights treaty of the 21st century, CRPD signified not only the incorporation of disability rights as part of the human rights paradigm but also the advancement of the human rights narrative in general.
Almost 20 years later, there has been increased awareness on disability rights issues, and powerful local disability rights movements have been growing around the globe. At the same time, disability rights activists are no longer satisfied with principles codified in law but increasingly looking for ways to enact broader social change from a disability perspective.
This conversation focuses on two concrete examples: In Mexico, the disability rights movement is influencing criminal justice reform. In Taiwan, the local independent living movement is challenging how long-term care and community-based support systems are being envisioned.
Luhan Gabel is Associate Director, Ideas and Fellowship Collaborative, at Open Society Foundations (OSF), based in New York. Previously, as a grant-maker at OSF, Luhan worked on the global response to Russia’s war in Ukraine and funded key disability rights issues in different countries and efforts to sustain social movements in China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan. Prior to OSF, Luhan worked in Chinese civil society and journalism, based in Beijing.