A/HRC/57/47 disabilities, hinder their employment opportunities and economic independence. 51 In many other States, Indigenous persons with disabilities are often excluded from educational, vocational and employment opportunities as well. In Norway, Sami children with disabilities face challenges due to the shortage of teachers who speak Sami languages and understand their culture, inadequate support and adapted materials in Sami languages and a teaching environment that often lacks cultural sensitivity.52 49. Indigenous women and girls with disabilities in particular experience a concerning lack of access to education. In many regions around the world, a significantly higher percentage of Indigenous boys are enrolled in school compared with Indigenous girls. The gender gap that exists in the education of Indigenous youth can be attributed to the heightened discrimination and harassment that Indigenous girls face from non-Indigenous persons outside the home.53 Indigenous women and girls with disabilities may be compelled to act as care and support providers to other family members, further limiting their capability to pursue an education. Indigenous women with disabilities experience poorer educational outcomes and higher rates of maternal mortality than other Indigenous women. 54 50. Even when education is inclusive of Indigenous Peoples, it is at risk of being rendered ineffective or even problematic when it fails to provide a culturally appropriate curriculum. 55 Lack of inclusive education for those with disabilities is an additional barrier. 56 Indigenous children thrive when the education provided to them embraces their culture. The social problems faced by Indigenous Peoples that contribute to high numbers of persons with disabilities are correlated with damage to their cultures, languages, identities and self-respect, stemming at least in part from school systems that are designed to change them rather than support them.57 51. There is a dearth of training opportunities and transition to employment programmes for persons with disabilities in the areas where Indigenous Peoples live, resulting in many persons with disabilities lacking the skills and opportunities needed to earn a living. 58 Some of the challenges faced by Indigenous persons with disabilities in Costa Rica include inadequate specialized personnel in educational institutions and social isolation.59 H. Full and effective participation 52. The participation of persons with disabilities encompasses both individual and collective dimensions. Under the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (art. 29), persons with disabilities have the right to participate in political and public life on an equal basis with others, directly or through freely chosen representatives, including the right and opportunity to vote and be elected. As members of Indigenous Peoples, Indigenous persons with disabilities also enjoy the collective right to self-determination, the right to autonomy or self-government and the right to consultation and free, prior and informed consent before the adoption of any legislative or administrative measures and projects that may affect them (United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, arts. 3, 4, 18, 19 and 32). 53. Ensuring the right to self-determination and the right to free, prior and informed consent is key for the meaningful participation of Indigenous persons with disabilities. Indigenous persons with disabilities face many barriers in participation, such as lack of 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 GE.24-12379 Submission from Guatemala. A/HRC/43/41/Add.3, para. 45. See https://www.un.org/esa/socdev/unpfii/documents/BriefingNote3_GREY.pdf. Submission from the National Indigenous Disabled Women Association Nepal. Marie Battiste, “Indigenous knowledge and Indigenous peoples’ education” in Traditional Knowledge in Policy and Practice: Approaches to Development and Human Well-Being, Suneetha M. Subramanian and Balakrishna Pisupati, eds. (New York, United Nations University Press, 2010). Submission from Maat for Peace, Development and Human Rights. Ole Henrik Magga and others, “Indigenous children’s education and Indigenous languages”, expert paper prepared for the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, 2005. E/C.19/2013/6, para. 40. Submission from Mesa Nacional Indígena Costa Rica. 11