Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities

The States Parties recall the Charter of the United Nations and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, reaffirming the universality, indivisibility, interdependence and interrelatedness of all human rights and fundamental freedoms. They recognize that disability is an evolving concept resulting from the interaction between persons with impairments and attitudinal and environmental barriers that hinder full and effective participation in society on an equal basis with others. They stress the importance of mainstreaming disability issues in sustainable development, recognize diversity among persons with disabilities, and emphasize the need to promote and protect the human rights of all persons with disabilities, including those requiring more intensive support.

The purpose of the Convention is to promote, protect and ensure full and equal enjoyment of all human rights and fundamental freedoms by all persons with disabilities, and to promote respect for their inherent dignity. Persons with disabilities include those with long-term physical, mental, intellectual or sensory impairments which, in interaction with barriers, may hinder full and effective participation in society on an equal basis with others.

The Convention defines communication, language, discrimination on the basis of disability, reasonable accommodation and universal design. Communication includes languages, text display, Braille, tactile communication, large print, accessible multimedia, plain language, human-reader and augmentative or alternative modes and technologies. Reasonable accommodation means necessary and appropriate modifications that do not impose disproportionate or undue burden.

General principles include respect for inherent dignity, individual autonomy and independence; non-discrimination; full and effective participation and inclusion in society; respect for difference and acceptance of persons with disabilities as part of human diversity; equality of opportunity; accessibility; equality between men and women; and respect for the evolving capacities and identity of children with disabilities.

States Parties undertake to ensure and promote full realization of all human rights and fundamental freedoms for persons with disabilities without discrimination. They must adopt legislation and policies, modify or abolish discriminatory laws and practices, mainstream disability in policies, refrain from incompatible acts, ensure public authorities comply, eliminate discrimination by private persons and entities, promote universal design and accessible technologies, provide accessible information, and train professionals.

States recognize that all persons are equal before and under the law and entitled to equal protection and benefit of the law without discrimination. They shall prohibit disability-based discrimination, guarantee equal and effective legal protection, and take steps to ensure reasonable accommodation. Specific measures necessary to accelerate or achieve de facto equality are not discrimination.

States recognize that women and girls with disabilities are subject to multiple discrimination and shall take measures to ensure their full and equal enjoyment of all human rights and fundamental freedoms. They shall ensure the full development, advancement and empowerment of women for exercising rights under the Convention.

States shall ensure full enjoyment by children with disabilities of all human rights and freedoms on an equal basis with other children. In all actions concerning children with disabilities, the best interests of the child shall be a primary consideration, and children shall have the right to express views freely with due weight according to age and maturity, receiving disability- and age-appropriate assistance.

States shall adopt immediate, effective and appropriate awareness-raising measures to foster respect for the rights and dignity of persons with disabilities, combat stereotypes, prejudices and harmful practices, and promote awareness of their capabilities. Measures include public campaigns, education system initiatives, media encouragement and awareness-training programmes.

States shall take appropriate measures to ensure access for persons with disabilities, on an equal basis with others, to the physical environment, transportation, information and communications, including ICT, and facilities and services open or provided to the public. Measures include identifying and eliminating barriers in buildings, roads, transport, schools, housing, medical facilities, workplaces, information services, signage, Braille, live assistance, guides, readers, interpreters and accessible technologies.

States reaffirm that every human being has the inherent right to life and shall take all necessary measures to ensure its effective enjoyment by persons with disabilities on an equal basis with others.

States shall take all necessary measures to ensure protection and safety of persons with disabilities in situations of risk, including armed conflict, humanitarian emergencies and natural disasters, in accordance with international law.

States reaffirm that persons with disabilities have the right to recognition everywhere as persons before the law and enjoy legal capacity on an equal basis with others in all aspects of life. States must provide support for exercising legal capacity and safeguards preventing abuse, respecting rights, will and preferences, free from conflict of interest and proportional and tailored to circumstances.

States shall ensure effective access to justice for persons with disabilities on an equal basis with others, including procedural and age-appropriate accommodations, to facilitate their effective role as direct and indirect participants, including as witnesses. Training shall be promoted for those working in administration of justice, including police and prison staff.

States shall ensure that persons with disabilities enjoy liberty and security of person on an equal basis with others, are not deprived of liberty unlawfully or arbitrarily, and that disability shall in no case justify deprivation of liberty. If deprived of liberty, they are entitled to guarantees under international human rights law and reasonable accommodation.

No person with disabilities shall be subjected to torture or cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, or to medical or scientific experimentation without free consent. States shall take legislative, administrative, judicial and other measures to prevent such treatment on an equal basis with others.

States shall take measures to protect persons with disabilities, within and outside the home, from all forms of exploitation, violence and abuse, including gender-based aspects. They shall provide assistance, information and services, ensure monitoring of facilities, promote recovery and reintegration of victims, and adopt laws and policies to identify, investigate and prosecute such acts.

Every person with disabilities has the right to respect for physical and mental integrity on an equal basis with others.

States shall recognize the rights of persons with disabilities to liberty of movement, freedom to choose residence and nationality. They must ensure rights to acquire and change nationality, not be deprived of nationality arbitrarily or on disability grounds, obtain identity and travel documentation, leave any country, enter their own country, and ensure children with disabilities are registered immediately after birth and have rights to a name, nationality and parental care.

Persons with disabilities have the equal right to live in the community, with choices equal to others. States shall ensure opportunity to choose residence and with whom to live, access to in-home, residential and community support services including personal assistance, and community services and facilities available to the general population are accessible and responsive.

States shall take effective measures to ensure personal mobility with greatest possible independence, including affordable mobility aids, devices, assistive technologies and forms of live assistance, training in mobility skills, and encouraging production of mobility aids and technologies considering all aspects of mobility.

States shall ensure freedom of expression and opinion and access to information for persons with disabilities through accessible formats and technologies, acceptance and facilitation of sign languages, Braille, augmentative and alternative communication, urging private entities and mass media to provide accessible information, and recognizing and promoting sign languages.

No person with disabilities shall be subjected to arbitrary or unlawful interference with privacy, family, home, correspondence or communications, or unlawful attacks on honour and reputation. States shall protect privacy of personal, health and rehabilitation information on an equal basis with others.

States shall eliminate discrimination in matters relating to marriage, family, parenthood and relationships. They must ensure rights to marry and found a family with free and full consent, decide freely and responsibly on number and spacing of children, access information and family planning, retain fertility, and protect rights of children with disabilities and parents with disabilities in guardianship, adoption and family life.

States recognize the right of persons with disabilities to education without discrimination and on equal opportunity, ensuring an inclusive education system at all levels and lifelong learning. They shall ensure persons with disabilities are not excluded from general education, receive reasonable accommodation and support, learn life and social development skills, including Braille, sign language, alternative communication and peer support, and ensure employment of qualified teachers including teachers with disabilities.

States recognize the right of persons with disabilities to the highest attainable standard of health without discrimination. They shall provide equal, accessible and gender-sensitive health services, including health-related rehabilitation, services needed specifically because of disabilities, services close to communities, free and informed consent, non-discriminatory health insurance and life insurance, and prevention of discriminatory denial of care.

States shall take effective measures to enable persons with disabilities to attain and maintain maximum independence, full abilities and inclusion through habilitation and rehabilitation, especially in health, employment, education and social services. Services shall begin at the earliest stage, be multidisciplinary, support community participation, be voluntary, available close to communities, and include training of professionals and use of assistive technologies.

States recognize the equal right of persons with disabilities to work, including the opportunity to gain a living by freely chosen work in an open, inclusive and accessible labour market. They shall prohibit discrimination, protect just and favourable conditions, ensure labour and trade union rights, enable access to vocational guidance and training, promote employment and advancement, self-employment, public sector employment, private sector employment, reasonable accommodation, work experience and rehabilitation.

States recognize the right of persons with disabilities to an adequate standard of living and social protection without discrimination. Measures include access to clean water, services and assistance for disability-related needs, social protection and poverty reduction programmes, assistance with disability-related expenses, public housing programmes and retirement benefits.

States shall guarantee political rights and opportunity to enjoy them on an equal basis. They must ensure accessible voting procedures, facilities and materials, protect secret ballot and candidacy, allow assistance of a person of choice when voting, and promote participation in public affairs, NGOs, political parties and organizations of persons with disabilities.

States recognize the right of persons with disabilities to participate equally in cultural life, recreation, leisure and sport. They shall ensure access to cultural materials, TV, films, theatre and cultural activities in accessible formats, access to cultural places, opportunity to develop creative and intellectual potential, recognition of specific cultural and linguistic identity including sign languages and deaf culture, and participation in mainstream and disability-specific sport.

States shall collect appropriate information, including statistical and research data, to formulate and implement policies giving effect to the Convention. Data collection must comply with legal safeguards, confidentiality and privacy, and be disaggregated and used to identify barriers. Statistics shall be disseminated and accessible to persons with disabilities and others.

States recognize the importance of international cooperation and shall undertake appropriate measures in partnership with international and regional organizations and civil society, especially organizations of persons with disabilities. Measures may include inclusive international development programmes, capacity-building, exchange of information and technology, technical and economic assistance, and access to assistive technologies.

States shall designate focal points within government for implementation and consider coordination mechanisms. They shall maintain or establish independent frameworks to promote, protect and monitor implementation, taking into account principles relating to national human rights institutions. Civil society, especially persons with disabilities and their representative organizations, shall be involved in monitoring.

A Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities shall be established, initially of twelve experts and later eighteen after additional ratifications, serving in personal capacity with high moral standing and recognized competence. Members are elected by States Parties with equitable geographic distribution, representation of civilizations and legal systems, gender balance and participation of experts with disabilities.

States Parties shall submit comprehensive reports on measures taken and progress made within two years after entry into force for the State, and thereafter at least every four years and when requested. Reports may indicate factors and difficulties affecting fulfilment. States shall prepare reports through an open and transparent process and consider article 4 consultation obligations.

The Committee shall consider each report, make suggestions and general recommendations, and transmit them to the State Party, which may respond. The Committee may request further information. If a State is significantly overdue, the Committee may notify it and examine implementation based on reliable information if no report is submitted.

States Parties shall cooperate with the Committee and assist its members in fulfilling their mandate. The Committee shall give due consideration to ways to enhance national capacities for implementation, including through international cooperation.

To foster effective implementation and cooperation, specialized agencies and UN organs may be represented during consideration of provisions within their mandates. The Committee may invite them and other competent bodies to provide expert advice and reports, and may transmit reports to them for technical advice or assistance.

The Committee shall report every two years to the General Assembly and the Economic and Social Council on its activities and may make suggestions and general recommendations based on reports and information received from States Parties.

States Parties shall meet regularly in a Conference of States Parties to consider matters concerning implementation of the Convention. The first meeting is convened by the Secretary-General no later than six months after entry into force, and subsequent meetings are convened biennially or as decided.

The Secretary-General of the United Nations is the depositary of the Convention.

The Convention is open for signature by all States and by regional integration organizations at United Nations Headquarters in New York as of 30 March 2007.

The Convention is subject to ratification by signatory States and formal confirmation by signatory regional integration organizations, and is open for accession by any State or regional integration organization that has not signed it.

Regional integration organizations may become parties to the Convention within their competence. They declare the extent of competence and notify changes. References to States Parties apply to such organizations within their competence, and their instruments are not counted beyond those of member States for certain thresholds.

The Convention enters into force on the thirtieth day after deposit of the twentieth instrument of ratification or accession. For each State or regional integration organization ratifying, formally confirming or acceding after that deposit, it enters into force on the thirtieth day after deposit of its own instrument.

Reservations incompatible with the object and purpose of the Convention are not permitted. Reservations may be withdrawn at any time.

Any State Party may propose an amendment and submit it to the Secretary-General. If one third of States Parties favour a conference, it is convened; amendments adopted by two-thirds of those present and voting and approved by the General Assembly enter into force for accepting States under the Convention's procedure. Amendments concerning articles 34, 38, 39 and 40 have a special entry-into-force rule.

A State Party may denounce the Convention by written notification to the Secretary-General. Denunciation becomes effective one year after receipt of the notification.

The text of the Convention shall be made available in accessible formats.

The Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish texts of the Convention are equally authentic.