MDAC takes a proactive approach to advancing the rights of people with intellectual or mental health disabilities. Stigma and discrimination often shape mental health and social care services. This leads to people with disabilities being isolated from their communities and exposed to human rights abuses.

Change is needed. MDAC focuses is on three clusters of human rights issues that are in most urgent need of change:

• Autonomy and legal capacity [1]
• Institutions and the community [2]
• Ill treatment and deaths [3]

Our approach to secure this change is varied. We:

• represent clients before domestic courts and the European Court of Human Rights [4]
• influence international law and policy
• investigate and monitor human rights violations
• provide recommendations on law and policy reform
• encourage lay advocacy and empower peer-advocacy (user) organisations
• educate lawyers, judges, psychiatrists, and people with disabilities

Read about MDAC's impact [5].