Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities

The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities is an international agreement to protect the rights and freedom of people with disabilities. The convention was based on international human rights laws that were made after the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was ratified.
The United Nations General Assembly adopted the convention on 13 December 2006. It has been in effect since 3 May 2008. As of April 2022, 185 countries have ratified the convention (they have promised the United Nations they will obey the convention). As of 23 December 2010, the European Union has collectively ratified the convention.
Part of the Convention includes meetings to make sure the convention is being followed. People with disabilities can also take part in these meetings.
Main Contents.
You can find an Easy Read explanation about the Convention here. Easy Read is written in Simple English and has pictures to help people understand.
Preamble.
The preamble (beginning) of the Convention recognizes these things:
Article 1. Purpose.
Article 1 sets out the purposes or goals of the convention:
Article 1 also says that there are many types of disabilities: physical disabilities, mental illnesses, intellectual disabilities, muteness, deafness, and blindness. According to Article 1, all of these people should be protected by the convention.
Article 2. Meaning of Words.
Article 2 explains what certain words in the Convention mean. For example:
Article 3. General Principles.
Article 3 says the convention is based on these values and goals:
Article 4. General Obligation.
Article 4 says that countries must make sure people with disabilities have full human rights by:
Article 5. Social Equality.
Countries must forbid all discrimination because of disability. Countries must also protect all persons against discrimination.
Article 6. Women.
Countries must understand that women and girls with disabilities suffer from double discrimination (they face discrimination both because they are disabled "and" because they are female). Countries must protect them so that they can enjoy human rights equally.
Article 7. Children.
Countries must take action to make sure children with disabilities enjoy the same rights and freedoms as children without disabilities. In all actions about children with disabilities, the most important thing is the child's best interests what is best for the child. Children with disabilities should be able to have a say in decisions that affect them.
Article 8. Raising Awareness.
Countries must raise awareness and increase respect toward persons with disabilities. They must work to correct stereotypes and prejudice against people with disabilities.
Article 9. Accessibility.
Countries must make changes (reasonable accommodations) and laws so people with disabilities can:
Article 10. Right to Life.
Every human being has the right to live. Countries must do everything they can to make sure people with disabilities can enjoy life as fully as people without disabilities can.
Article 11. Situations of Risk and Humanitarian Emergency.
When war, a natural disaster, or any other kind of emergency happens, countries must protect and save persons with disabilities. This is in line with international law on humanitarian aid and human rights.
Article 12. Equal Recognition Before the Law.
Countries should give people with disabilities the support they need to exercise their legal rights for example, by:
Countries should also make sure that nobody takes advantage of people with disabilities.
Article 13. Access to Justice.
People with disabilities have the right to access the justice and court systems just like people without disabilities. Countries must give special training on dealing with individuals with disabilities to people working in the justice system, including police and prison guards.
Person with disabilities has the right to access to the justice and court equally with other persons. To help this countries must do training for police and staff in prison. This Ariticle is cited with Article 12 by UN Office on Drugs and Crime.
Article 14. Liberty and Security of the Person.
People with disabilities have the right to liberty and safety. A person's freedom can never be taken away just because they have a disability. Countries must make sure people with disabilities are free and safe, even if this means making reasonable accommodations.
Article 15. Freedom from Torture or Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment.
All people are free from:
Article 16. Freedom from Violence and Abuse.
Countries must do everything they can to protect people with disabilities from violence and abuse.
Article 17. Protecting the Integrity of the Person.
Every person with disabilities has a right to be given respect for his or her physical integrity and mental integrity, the same way people without disabilities are.
Article 18. Liberty of Movement and Nationality.
People with disabilities have the right to move about freely, without being restricted. They have the right to choose their nationality and where they want to live.
Article 19. Living Independently and Being Accepted In the Community.
People with disabilities have the right to choose where they want to live, and who they want to live with. They cannot be forced to live in a certain place just because they are disabled. They should have supports and services to help them live independently at home and participate in their communities. Community activities should be accessible to people with disabilities. People with disabilities should not be isolated or segregated from society.
Article 20. (Personal moving).
Countries must do any policy for persons with disabilities to get personal moving aides and support at cheap cost.
Article 21. (Freedom of expression, opinion and access to information).
Countries must do all policy for person with disabilities to be able to express, to state opinion and to seek, receive and share information and ideas through Braille, sign languages and Internet.
Article 22. (Respect for private life).
Countries must protect the private life of persons with disabilities about their own health and rehabilitation information.
Article 23. (Respect for home and family).
Countries must do all policy to abolish discrimination against persons with disabilities about marriage, family, adoption, being parents and relationships. Any compulsory sterilization must be prohibited.
Article 24. (Education).
Countries must admit that persons with disabilities have the right to inclusive education without discrimination and with equal chance, also education for adult and lifelong learning. The aim of education is to develop human dignity, self-worth, self-esteem, and respect for human rights and human diversity, and for person with disabilities to develop their personality, talents, and creative nature. And for their full and equal participation in education as members of the community, countries must make it easy to learn Braille and sign language and also employ teachers with disabilities for this end.
Article 25. (Health).
Countries must admit that persons with disabilities have the rights to enjoy the highest possible standard of health without discrimination and with informed consent.
Article 26. (Habilitation and rehabilitation).
Counties must do habilitation and rehabilitation, that is aid to help independence and full physical, mental, social and vocational ability for the persons with disabilities, as early as possible with consideration of the individual needs and strengths of the persons, and also through peer support.
Article 27. (Right to work ).
Countries must admit the right of person with disabilities to work in just, good, safe and healthy condition and do policy that forbid all discrimination and bullying because of disability, and further must promote chance for person with disabilities to do self-work, entrepreneur and start one's own business. They must make more jobs for persons with disabilities also in public sector. Any unfree labour must be prohibited.
Article 28. (Good standard of living).
Countries must admit that person with disability have the right to an adequate standard of living including right to housing without discrimination and must give social protection or welfare, especially for women and girls, and also financial aid for person in poverty.
Article 29. (Taking part in political and public life).
Countries must admit that person with disabilities have the rights to take part in political and public life, also rights to be elected.
Article 30 (Taking part in culture).
Countries must admit that persons with disabilities have the right to take part in cultural life and enjoy recreation, leisure and sports without discrimination and with reasonable support. And persons with disabilities must be given the chance to grow and use their own creative and intellectual or artistic capacity, not only for themselves but for better society, and their own identity on culture and language including sign language and culture of persons with disabilities.
Article 33 (Application in national level).
Countries must make a national human rights institution to realise this convention and to watch the condition of the application of this, and make persons with disabilities enable to participate the institution.
Article 34 (Committee on the rights of persons with disabilities).
United Nations will make the committee on this convention by countries to realise this convention.
Article 49 (Format accessible for all).
This Convention must be published in a way accessible for all.
Optional Protocol.
This convention has also have an agreement that can accept a claim of a single person who has got an offense by a country where the person lives. That is called "Optional Protocol" but until April 2022, only 100 countries have ratified to United Nations to realize that. (see data of other websites)