On December 13, 2006, the U.N. General Assembly adopted the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), a landmark global agreement committing countries to “promote, protect and ensure the full and equal enjoyment of all human rights and fundamental freedoms by all persons with disabilities, and to promote respect for their inherent dignity.” Over the past decade, 168 countries and territories have ratified the CRPD, making it one of the most rapidly ratified human rights treaties in history.
The CRPD reflected a marked shift from the “medical model” of disability, which frames disability as intrinsic to the individual, to the “social model,” which focuses on socially constructed barriers to the full participation of people with disabilities in society. To that end, the CRPD requires States Parties to remove barriers to access and inclusion within education, work, health, and the civil and political sphere. In addition, the CRPD reaffirms that people with disabilities are equal before the law, and calls on states to “[t]o take all appropriate measures, including legislation, to modify or abolish existing laws, regulations, customs and practices that constitute discrimination against persons with disabilities.”
Historically, globally comparative data on laws and policies affecting people with disabilities has been largely unavailable. In this section, you’ll find new data and resources examining whether countries protect the fundamental rights of people with disabilities in their constitutions. In addition, this section explores whether countries have laws and policies in place to support inclusive education, equal opportunities at work, and access to caregiving. While far more data is needed, a global assessment of these key areas provides important insights about our collective progress toward realizing the CRPD’s transformative potential. Explore the resources below to learn more:
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Carla Denly
Assistant Dean for Communications
UCLA Fielding School of Public Health
Email: cdenly@support.ucla.edu
Phone: (310) 825-6738
