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The Disability Rights Protection Office of Iceland

The Disability Rights Protection Office of Iceland Frontpage

Rights of persons with disabilities

People with disabilities enjoy all the same rights and fundamental freedoms as other people. They are equal citizens and shall enjoy equal status before the law, equal rights, equal access and equal participation in all spheres of life, without discrimination of any kind. Disabled people enjoy for example equal rights

  • to vote

  • to buy and own a real estate

  • to education

  • to be provided with goods and services and to enjoy them with no lesser quality or more costly than other people do

A variety of measures can be taken to combat discrimination on the grounds of disability. Disabled people have the right to be consulted on these measures, with the aim of ensuring their equality. The rights of persons with disabilities are first and foremost based on the fact that they are citizens with equal status and equal rights.

People's impairments, needs and social circumstances can also create specific rights to certain services or support, for example support services, aids and enabling equipment, pension and subsidies.

Iceland has consented to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) and is currently in the process to fully adopt the convention into Icelandic law.