The UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with
Disabilities, Legal Capacity and Access to Justice
Presentation by Kristin Booth Glen
The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and its Optional Protocol was adopted on
13 December 2006 at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, and was opened for
signature on 30 March 2007. There were 82 signatories to the Convention, 44 signatories to the
Optional Protocol, and 1 ratification of the Convention. This is the highest number of signatories in
history to a UN Convention on its opening day. It is the first comprehensive human rights treaty of
the 21st century and is the first human rights convention to be open for signature by regional
integration organizations. The Convention entered into force on May 3, 2008.
The Convention follows decades of work by the United Nations to change attitudes and
approaches to persons with disabilities. It takes to a new height the movement from viewing persons
with disabilities as "objects" of charity, medical treatment and social protection towards viewing
persons with disabilities as "subjects" with rights, who are capable of claiming those rights and
making decisions for their lives based on their free and informed consent as well as being active
members of society.
The Convention is intended as a human rights instrument with an explicit, social development
dimension. It adopts a broad categorization of persons with disabilities and reaffirms that all persons
with all types of disabilities must enjoy all human rights and fundamental freedoms. It clarifies and
qualifies how all categories of rights apply to persons with disabilities and identifies areas where
adaptations have to be made for persons with disabilities to effectively exercise their rights and
areas where their rights have been violated, and where protection of rights must be reinforced.
Guiding Principles of the Convention
There are eight guiding principles that underlie the Convention and each one of its specific articles:
Respect for inherent dignity, individual autonomy including the freedom to
make one's own choices, and independence of persons
b. Non-discrimination
a.
Full and effective participation and inclusion in society
d. Respect for difference and acceptance of persons with disabilities as part of
human diversity and humanity
e. Equality of opportunity
f. Accessibility
g. Equality between men and women
c.
h.
Respect for the evolving capacities of children with disabilities and respect for
the right of children with disabilities to preserve their identities
Relevant provisions of the Convention
Article 1 - Purpose
The purpose of the present Convention is 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.
Persons with disabilities include those who have long -term physical, mental,
intellectual or sensory impairments which in interaction with various barriers may hinder
their full and effective participation in society on an equal basis with others.
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Article 2 - Definitions
For the purposes of the present Convention:
 "Communication" includes languages, display of text, Braille, tactile
communication, large print, accessible multimedia as well as written, audio, plainlanguage, human-reader and augmentative and alternative modes, means and
formats of communication, including accessible information and communication
technology;
 "Language" includes spoken and signed languages and other forms of non spoken
languages;
 "Discrimination on the basis of disability" means any distinction, exclusion or
restriction on the basis of disability which has the purpose or effect of impairing or
nullifying the recognition, enjoyment or exercise, on an equal basis with others, of
all human rights and fundamental freedoms in the political, economic, social,
cultural, civil or any other field. It includes all forms of discrimination, including
denial of reasonable accommodation;
 "Reasonable accommodation" means necessary and appropriate modification and
adjustments not imposing a disproportionate or undue burden, where needed in a
particular case, to ensure to persons with disabilities the enjoyment or exercise on
an equal basis with others of all human rights and fundamental freedoms:
 "Universal design" means the design of products, environments, programmes
and services to be usable by all people, to the greatest extent possible, without the
need for adaptation or specialized design. "Universal design" shall not exclude
assistive devices for particular groups of persons with disabilities where this is
needed.
Article 3 - General principles
The principles of the present Convention shall be:
a.
Respect for inherent dignity, individual autonomy including the freedom to make
one's own choices, and independence of persons;
b.
N o n - d is c r i m in a t i o n ;
c. Full and effective participation and inclusion in society;
d.
Respect for difference and acceptance of persons with disabilities as part of
human diversity and humanity;
e.
Equality of opportunity;
f. A c c e ss i b i l i t y;
g. E q u a l i t y b e t w e e n m e n a n d w o m e n ;
h.
Respect for the evolving capacities of children with disabilities and respect for the
right of children with disabilities to preserve their identities.
Article 4 - General obligations
1. States Parties undertake to ensure and promote the full realization of all human
rights and fundamental freedoms for all persons with disabilities without
discrimination of any kind on the basis of disability. To this end, States Parties
undertake:
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a.
To adopt all appropriate legislative, administrative and other measures for the
implementation of the rights recognized in the present Convention;
b.
To take all appropriate measures, including legislation, to modify or abolish
existing laws, regulations, customs and practices that constitute discrimination
against persons with disabilities;
c.
To take into account the protection and promotion of the human rights of
persons with disabilities in all policies and programs;
d.
To refrain from engaging in any act or practice that is inconsistent with the
present Convention and to ensure that public authorities and institutions act in
conformity with the present Convention;
e.
To take all appropriate measures to eliminate discriminat ion on the basis of
disability by any person, organization or private enterprise;
f. To undertake or promote research and development of universally designed
goods, services, equipment and facilities, as defined in article 2 of the present
Convention, which s hould require the minimum possible adaptation and the
least cost to meet the specific needs of a person with disabilities, to promote
3.
In order to promote equality and eliminate discrimination, States Parties shall
take all appropriate steps to ensure that reasonable accommodation is
provided.
4.
Specific measures which are necessary to accelerate or achieve de facto
equality of persons with disabilities shall not be considered discrimination
under the terms of the present Convention.
Article 12 - Equal recognition before the law
1. States Parties reaffirm that persons with disabilities have the right to recognition everywhere as
persons before the law.
2. States Parties shall recognize that persons with disabilities enjoy legal capacity on an equal
basis with others in all aspects of life.
3. States Parties shall take appropriate measures to provide access by persons with disabilities to the
support they may require in exercising their legal capacity.
4. States Parties shall ensure that all measures that relate to the exercise of legal capacity provide
for appropriate and effective safeguards to prevent abuse in accordance with international
human rights law. Such safeguards shall ensure that measures relating to the exercise of legal
capacity respect the rights, will and
5. preferences of the person, are free of conflict of interest and undue influence, are proportional
and tailored to the person's circumstances, apply for the shortest time possible and are subject
to regular review by a competent, independent and impartial authority or judicial body. The
safeguards shall be proportional to the degree to which such measures affect the person's
rights and interests.
6. Subject to the provisions of this article, States Parties shall take all appropriate and effective
measures to ensure the equal right of persons with disabilities to own or inherit property, to
control their own financial affairs and to have equal access to bank loans, mortgages and other
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forms of financial credit, and shall ensure that persons with disabilities are not arbitrarily
deprived of their property.
Article 13 - Access to justice
1.
States Parties shall ensure effective access to justice for persons with disabilities on an equal
basis with others, including through the provision of procedural and age-appropriate
accommodations, in order to facilitate their effective role as direct and indirect participants,
including as witnesses, in all legal proceedings, including at investigative and other preliminary
stages.
2.
In order to help to ensure effective access to justice for persons with disabilities, States Parties
shall promote appropriate training for those working in the field of administration of justice,
including police and prison staff.
Article 16 - Freedom from exploitation, violence and abuse
1.
States Parties shall take all appropriate legislative, administrative, social, educational and
other measures to protect persons with disabilities, both within and outside the home, from all
forms of exploitation, violence and abuse, including their gender-based aspects.
2.
States Parties shall also take all appropriate measures to prevent all-forms of exploitation,
violence and abuse by ensuring, inter alia, appropriate forms of gender- and age-sensitive
assistance and support for persons with disabilities and their families and caregivers, including
through the provision of information and education on how to avoid, recognize and report
instances of exploitation, violence and abuse. States Parties shall ensure that protection
services are age-, gender-and disability-sensitive.
3.
In order to prevent the occurrence of all forms of exploitation, violence and abuse, States
Parties shall ensure that all facilities and programs designed to serve persons with disabilities
are effectively monitored by independent authorities.
4.
States Parties shall take all appropriate measures to promote the physical, cognitive and
psychological recovery, rehabilitation and social reintegration of persons with disabilities who
become victims of any form of exploitation, violence or abuse, including through the provision of
protection services. Such recovery and reintegration shall take place in an environment that
fosters the health, welfare, self-respect, dignity and autonomy of the person and takes into
account gender-and age-specific needs.
5.
States Parties shall put in place effective legislation and policies, including women- and childfocused legislation and policies, to ensure that instances of exploitation, violence and abuse
against persons with disabilities are identified, investigated and, where appropriate, prosecuted.
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