Disability: The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities

There are around 1 billion people with disability in the world. They are often the poorest of the poor. The stigma and discrimination they suffer are common in all societies. People with disability are often denied chances to work, attend school and participate fully in society - which creates barriers for their prosperity and well-being. The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities is important because it is a tool for ensuring that people with disability have access to the same rights and opportunities as everybody else.

The Convention is a human rights treaty designed by representatives of the international community - including people with disability, government officials, representatives of nongovernmental organizations and others - to change the way people with disability are viewed and treated in their societies.

The Convention challenges people worldwide to understand disability as a human rights issue. The Convention covers many areas where obstacles can arise, such as physical access to buildings, roads and transportation, and access to information through written and electronic communications. The Convention also aims to reduce stigma and discrimination, which are often reasons why people with disability are excluded from education, employment and health and other services.

For the first time, a legally binding international instrument now exists to guarantee that States that have ratified the treaty will promote and protect the rights of people with disability. These States will next work on passing their own national civil rights legislation to improve the lives of people with disability.