Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities

A milestone for the advocacy of the rights of persons with disabilities is now steadily gaining worldwide acceptance and support. This is known as the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities refers to a document focusing on international human rights of people with disabilities. It was created by the United Nations and is being monitored by the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

United Nations Deputy Secretary-General Asha-Rose Migiro urged Member States this morning to without delay sign, ratify and implement the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities — a landmark document that provided a solid norm for advancing the human rights of the 650 million people worldwide with disabilities — as well as its Optional Protocol.

As it was planned President Barack Obama declared his administration's intent to sign the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities today. The actual signing will take place in New York at the end of July.

On July 24, President Barack Obama plans to announce signing the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. With this, the United States would be number 141 signing the Convention.

The newest United Nations human rights treaty body, the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, today concluded its first session, which was held from 23 to 27 February at the Palais des Nations.

At the end of the session, the Committee adopted its first declaration, in which it, inter alia, declared that it would afford equal attention and priority to all persons with disabilities considering the specific conditions of those who were vulnerable, such as women; children; older persons; persons with disabilities in rural areas or in areas of armed conflict; persons with multiple disabilities; indigenous people; migrants and asylum-seekers and others. It also recognized the importance of an immediate transition from the medical model of disability (i.e. which considers that a person with a disability has something wrong with them) to the human rights and social model (which considers that there is something wrong with a society if it does not allow disabled persons to enjoy their rights), and would endeavour to provide the required support to States parties in realizing that important transition. In its declaration, the Committee further invited States to redouble their efforts with regard to inclusive social development for the full enjoyment of persons with disabilities and for the betterment of their quality of life and to refrain from letting economic and financial instabilities affect the achievement of that objective. It was highlighted that persons with disabilities were at particular risk in the current economic crisis and that it was important that
States paid particular attention to the situation of persons with disabilities in the current situation.

Axel Leblois, founder and director of a United Nations program pushing for expanded digital access for the disabled.

It is a statistic that simply does not make sense to Axel Leblois. In many countries, including the United States, the unemployment rate for blind persons of working age tops 70 percent.

“And yet we know – because you can see it every day – blind persons can have fully productive lives using technology,” said Mr. Leblois. “Why that gap?”

During the elections, the subject of disabilities wasn't in the center of attention, while it effects almost one out of six Americans. While more emphasis was put on foreign policy and the economy, President Barack Obama definitely has a plan for people with disabilities. And this plan, was posted electronically on the internet, with special considerations to accessibility.

Even Grounds, an accessibility consulting company based in Washington DC, was invited to attend this year’s UN-GAID (United Nations Global Alliance for ICT and Development) Annual Meeting and Global Forum. This UN conference was held at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Center from May 18 to 20, 2008.

The owner of Even Grounds, Tom Babinszki joins the Steering Committee of G3ICT. G3ict, the Global Initiative for Inclusive Information and Communication Technologies, is a public-private partnership dedicated to facilitating the implementation around the world of the Digital Accessibility Agenda defined by the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

Ecuador today became the twentieth country to ratify the landmark Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, which is now set to enter into force on 3 May. The Convention needed 20 ratifications to take effect.