History and Divisions in Nicaragua's Disability Rights Movement

Abstract

The UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities represents an important innovation in international law. For the first time, states are legally obligated to seek the advice of civil society organizations representing rights-holders in the development of legislation and policies and the monitoring of their implementation. In Nicaragua, however, the civic history of the Sandinista Revolution and civil war has left the local disability movement divided. Disabled war veterans want laws guaranteeing special treatment; self-help groups would rather focus on providing their own services than advocating for new laws. This demonstrates that the success of the CRPD's civil society provisions is as dependent on the local identities and experiences of disabled people as it is on states' adherence to international law.