A Participative evaluation of the rights of Persons with psychosocial disability

Rights are seen as mechanisms of accountability that persons in vulnerable positions possess against holders of power and authority. Human rights discourse can trace its lineages to either the autonomy or the interests’ model. Whilst the autonomy model lays stress on choice and self determination the interests’ model is more services and facilities oriented. Writing nearly a decade ago on the relevance of the two models to the rights of “persons with mental illness” I had pointed how each of the models constrained the assertion of human rights for “persons with mental illness”. The autonomy model carried within it the danger of isolation and neglect and the interests’ model could invisiblise the person.