Rule 4. Support Services (personal assistance )

• support the development and provision of personal assistance programmes and interpretation services

• designed in such a way that the persons with disabilities using the programmes have a decisive influence on the way in which the programmes are delivered

• Question: is this realistic in the world of work? Is it a matter of getting one person for the price of two?

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For many persons with disabilities, there is a need to have personal assistance as a key support service. Whether this is someone to help a person with motor disabilities, a person with visual disabilities who needs a guide or a person with hearing disabilities who needs a sign language interpreter, these are often key services to permit independence and cooperation. Rule 4 also speaks to this.

This is also the area where, it is argued, that providing livelihoods for persons with disabilities is costly. Why hire a worker who needs to have an assistant? Is it a matter of getting one for the price of two?

This is a good point to stop and reflect on whether these are realistic preconditions and whether others are needed..