Protection of rights of people with special educational needs in Ukraine

In the article, the author analyzes three models of attitudes towards people with special needs in the world: the medical model, the model of normalization, and social model, as well as defines priority humanistic approach based on respect for human dignity, rights and freedoms of every individual, regardless of gender, age or state of health. The basic needs of people with disabilities are identified, as well as the need for self-realization by which people seek to find their place in life and to realize their potential, talents, professional self-determination. We considered internal and external support mechanisms of “the disabled” in their development, for whom inclusive education aims at: creating favorable psychological climate in the family; creating cultural system in society; support from the government in professional and creative self-realization; social prevention and control of negative attitudes towards people with disabilities; providing equal rights by state, that erasure boundaries between “healthy” people and those with disabilities; positive self-perception and self-attitude; active life; a clear identity and personalization; responsibility, freedom and a strong will; belief in yourself and a positive assessment of one’s own and other people’s capabilities. We considered foreign and domestic regulations that ensure the rights of people with special needs: the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948), the Declaration of the Rights of the Child (1959), the Declaration on the Rights of Mentally Retarded Persons (1971), the Declaration on the Rights of Disabled Persons (1975), the Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment (Disabled Persons) Convention (1983), Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989), Standard Rules on the Equalization of Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities (1993), the Salamanca Statement on Principles, Policy and Practice in Special Needs Education and a Framework for Action (1994), the Dakar Declaration (2000), the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (2006, New York) and others.