Rule 4. Support services
States should ensure the development and supply of support services, including assistive devices for persons with disabilities, to assist them to increase their level of independence in their daily living and to exercise their rights.
States should ensure the provision of assistive devices and equipment, personal assistance and interpreter services, according to the needs of persons with disabilities, as important measures to achieve the equalization of opportunities
Notes:
Equalization of opportunities takes place in an institutional context that can either help or hinder persons with disabilities. Among these are support services that recognize that persons with disabilities may need some help to be able to develop their skills and contribution fully. The essential principle in Rule 4 is that state should ensure the development and supply of support services, including assistive devices. The relevance of this Rule to the Internet, where assistive devices are often key to access, is obvious. Secondly, the support services should be tailored to the needs persons with disabilities. There is no “one size fits all” concept here; States are required to meet the needs of all kinds of disabilities.