OF RIGHTS AND WRONGS. Assessing disability rights in Portugal in the era of austerity

Of rights and wrongs. Assessing disability rights in Portugal in the era of austerity Long fought for by the global disability movement, the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) held the promise of rights and a life with dignity for all people with disabilities worldwide. Portugal was amongst the fi rst States to sign and ratify the CRPD, thus committing to advance policy reforms and shift from a charity to a rightsbased approach to disability. Almost a decade has passed by now - Portugal has plunged into a deep economic recession and fi scal crisis and endured a strict austerity plan from 2011 to 2014. What has this done to disability rights? This paper examines this question and offers an overview of disability rights progression in Portugal. Assessing the impact of austerity and a neoliberal agenda on the fulfi lment at domestic level of international human rights commitments, we discuss the complex interplay of law, policy and politics in contemporary societies and the role of disability studies in advancing rights.