“All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights.” Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights takes on a very different meaning when you know that more than 500 million disabled people throughout the world do not have the money to pay for healthcare and that in developing countries 98% of disabled children do not attend school and 80% of disabled people live on less than $1 a day. Receiving health care and treatment, going to school, working, loving, and expressing oneself: Handicap International works in almost sixty countries and lobbies national and international governments so that these fundamental rights apply to everyone. 

In the countries where Handicap International develops programs, we work to support the drawing up of national legislation to support the rights of people with disabilities. The organization took part in the drafting of the French law on “equal rights and opportunities, participation and citizenship of disabled people” which was promulgated in February 2005. Handicap International also participated in the drafting of an international UN Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities and is now working with local organizations in a number of countries to ratify and implement the Convention.

Handicap International also supports disabled peoples' organizations in the countries where we work. Our goal is to give potential activists the resources they need to promote and defend their rights including access to health care, education, employment, sport, and culture.