The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities was adopted on 13 December 2006 and entered into force on 3 May 2008. The text is available at the following link: CRPD.
Although it is the main international that recognises the need to protect disability, no specific definition of disability can be found in its text. Instead, disability must be thought as a notion that is subject to evolution. The preamble of the Convention reads as follows:
“disability results from the interaction between persons with impairments and attitudinal and environmental barriers that hinders their full and effective participation in society on an equal basis with others”
Therefore, the Convention can be enforced where impairments and attitudinal barriers limit the participation to the life of the community of those persons featuring physical or mental problems. States parties have a general obligation to act in order to remove obstacles in every-day life and giving the opportunity to disabled people to be treated equally.
Among the provisions contained in the Convention the following can be recalled:
- the freedom of movement;
- the right to life;
- the right to privacy and respect for private and family life;
- the right to education, health, work, take part to the public, political and cultural life of the country;
- and, very significantly, the right to adequate living standards.
In addition, States parties have the obligation to adopt all legislative and administrative measures that are needed to stop discriminatory treatment against disabled people and, at the same time, they have to grant their participation to any decision-making procedure in which disability issues are discussed.
The core elements of the strategy reflected in the Convention are anti-discrimination, equal opportunities and active inclusion measures.
Useful links
- the Committee, its activities and its rules of procedures:
www2.ohchr.org/english/bodies/crpd/index.htm
- the status of ratifications
www2.ohchr.org/english/law/crpd.htm