This blog article was written by Dovilė Juodkaitė, Lithuania’s Candidate for the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in 2026.
As a lawyer and human rights advocate, I have spent over two decades working in the field of disability rights and equal opportunities. My professional journey has been shaped by close and continuous engagement with persons with disabilities and their representative organisations. As a professional and civil society leader, I have been entrusted and had a privilege to serve the Lithuanian Disability Forum for many years, including more than a decade as its President.
Listening to lived experiences and working alongside self-advocates has shown me that laws alone do not transform lives. Real change happens when people are meaningfully included in decisions that affect them and when persons with disabilities are recognised as rights-holders – not objects of charity, but people with the same dignity, autonomy, and right to make choices as anyone else. Only then can policies truly reach everyday realities.
As a disability community leader in Lithuania, I have engaged in continuous dialogue with government institutions, courts, municipalities, and international bodies on complex issues under the Convention, including legal capacity, deinstitutionalisation, inclusive education, accessibility, and protection from discrimination and violence.
These issues directly affect everyday life — whether a person can choose where to live, attend school, access healthcare, vote, work, or seek justice on an equal basis with others. Progress is rarely easy and often involves resistance and setbacks, but experience shows that meaningful change is possible through persistent, evidence-based advocacy and constructive dialogue between disability organisations and public authorities. In Lithuania, this sustained cooperation has led to tangible results, including stronger requirements for accessible information, the introduction of reasonable accommodation in education, employment, and healthcare, and improvements in accessible elections. While not complete, these advances demonstrate that the Convention can move from principle to practice.
My work in disability rights has increasingly expanded to the European and international level. I currently represent Lithuania in the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and serve as a member of the European Economic and Social Committee. I have also contributed to UN-related processes, including the preparation of shadow reports and international monitoring. In addition, I have been involved in the World Health Organization’s QualityRights initiative and in the international programme “Postgraduate Diploma in International Mental Health, Law, Policy & Rights-based Services” with the Indian Law Society, helping to strengthen rights-based approaches in mental health.
These experiences have strengthened my understanding of the role of independent human rights mechanisms and the value of constructive, respectful engagement with States. Effective human rights monitoring is not about confrontation, but about clear and credible dialogue. It involves identifying gaps in implementation, recognising good practices, and offering guidance grounded in human rights standards while remaining practical and realistic.
If elected to the Committee, my work would be guided by three priorities.
First, empowering mothers with disabilities. Women with disabilities continue to face discrimination in relation to reproductive rights, family life, and parenting. In many contexts, their capacity to make decisions about their own bodies or to raise children is questioned or restricted. I want to contribute to strengthening international attention to these violations and to promoting equal access to reproductive healthcare and adequate support so that women with disabilities can raise their children with dignity and security.
Second, ensuring safety and rights in emergencies. Recent crises have shown repeatedly that persons with disabilities are disproportionately affected when emergency planning and humanitarian response are not inclusive. Evacuation procedures, shelters, information systems, and assistance often fail to consider accessibility and individual support needs. I am committed to advancing stronger guidance on disability inclusion in disaster risk reduction, emergency preparedness, and humanitarian action.
Third, promoting access to justice. Equal access to justice is a cornerstone of the rule of law. Without it, all other rights remain fragile. I am particularly concerned about barriers faced by persons with disabilities in criminal justice systems, including the lack of procedural accommodations, inaccessible information, and negative stereotypes about credibility and capacity. I want to support the development of standards and recommendations that ensure meaningful participation and dignity at every stage of the process.
If elected, I would serve in my personal capacity, with full independence and impartiality. I deeply respect the diversity of legal, cultural, and social contexts across States. At the same time, I remain firmly anchored in the human rights model of disability and in the principle that the universality of rights must never be compromised.
I am standing for the Committee because I believe in the power of the Convention to transform lives. I believe in the importance of strong, independent treaty bodies. And I believe that persons with disabilities and their organisations must always be at the centre of this work.
This candidacy is about contributing, from a professional perspective, to a global effort to ensure that the rights of persons with disabilities are respected, protected, and fulfilled everywhere – not only in law, but in practice.
That is the responsibility I am ready to take on.
- Read the candidacy page