Rehabilitation Professionals’ Perspectives on Human Rights, Disability, and Science: A Qualitative Study

This study explores how rehabilitation professionals view human rights in the context of disability, science, and access to technology. It aims to understand their awareness and attitudes towards these rights, particularly concerning individuals with spinal cord injuries (SCI). The research involved interviewing 15 professionals specializing in SCI care, including physicians, therapists, nurses, and engineers. The interviews aimed to uncover their understanding of the challenges faced by people with SCI and whether they perceive these challenges as human rights issues. The findings suggest that many rehabilitation professionals are not familiar with disability-relevant human rights doctrines, including the right to science as articulated in international covenants. However, they are generally receptive to learning more about human rights and integrating these principles into their work to improve access to technology and services for people with SCI.

• 1
  Most rehabilitation professionals were unaware of disability-relevant human rights doctrine, including the right to science.
• 2
  Only a few participants had considered the challenges faced by their clients as human rights violations, but nearly all were interested in framing access difficulties within the right to science paradigm.
• 3
  Participants generally reported that they would find value in implementing human rights principles into their work, especially with more information and tangible steps.