What are human rights

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3. Overview and Plain Language Text of the CRPD

An overview and plain language text of the CRPD have been included because anyone who is working on advocating for ratification or implementation of the CRPD and who wants their voice to be heard in the implementation and monitoring process must familiarise themselves with the content and text of the CRPD.

CRPD overview

The Convention consists of 50 articles. This is a brief overview of each group of articles:

Article 1 identifies the purpose of the Convention:

“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.”

Articles 2 to 3 provide definitions of terms and general principles.

Articles 4 to 32 define the specific rights of persons with disabilities. Included in the articles are the obligations of States’ parties towards persons with disabilities. Below are the points covered by this article group:

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  General obligations
  
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  Equality and non-discrimination
  
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  Women with disabilities
  
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  Children with disabilities
  
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  Awareness-raising
  
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  Accessibility
  
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  Right to life
  
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  Situations of risk and humanitarian emergencies
  
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  Equal recognition before the law
  
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  Access to justice
  
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  Liberty and security of the person
  
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  Freedom of [from?] torture or cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment
  
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  Freedom from exploitation, violence and abuse
  
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  Protecting the integrity of the person
  
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  Liberty of movement and nationality
  
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  Living independently and being included in the community
  
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  Personal mobility
  
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  Freedom of expression and opinion, and access to information
  
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  Respect for privacy
  
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  Respect for home and the family
  
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  Education
  
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  Health
  
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  Habilitation and rehabilitation
  
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  Work and employment
  
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  Adequate standard of living and social protection
  
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  Participation in political and public life
  
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  Participation in cultural life, recreation, leisure and sport
  
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  Statistics and data collection
  
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  International cooperation
  

Articles 33 to 39 focus on procedures for reporting and monitoring of the Convention. The points covered by the article group are:

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  National implementation and monitoring
  
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  Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
  
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  Reports by States’ Parties
  
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  Consideration of reports
  
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  Cooperation between States’ Parties and the Committee
  
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  Relationship of the Committee with other bodies
  
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  Report of the Committee
  

Articles 40 to 50 focus on ratification, entry into force, and amendment of the Convention. The points covered by the Convention’s final articles are:

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  Conference of States’ Parties
  
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  Depositary
  
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  Signature
  
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  Consent to be bound
  
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  Regional integration organizations
  
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  Entry into force
  
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  Reservations
  
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  Amendments
  
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  Denunciation
  
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  Accessible format
  
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  Authentic texts
  

The full Plain Language text of the CRPD and the Optional Protocol can be found in Appendix “A”.
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4. A More Detailed Guide to the CRPD

This is more detailed than the Question and Answer.

This Guide is available in English. It has an easy-read version and versions in pdf, Word, html and in Welsh for download. It is published by the Equality and Human Rights Commission in London.


http://www.equalityhumanrights.com/human-rights/a-guide-to-the-un-disability-convention/index.html
This guide has been written for an English, Scottish and Welsh audience, but the reader can select from the more general material. While much of the material is written for a UK perspective it can usefully be applied elsewhere.
Read the guide online:

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  Part 1: Introducing the United Nations Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities
  
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  Part 2: Know your rights
  
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  Part 3: Making rights a reality
  
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  Part 4: Further information and resources
  

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5. WBU Analysis of CRPD Relevance

The European Blind Union did an analysis of certain articles of the CRPD and their implications for blind and partially sighted persons. This analysis has been updated by the WBU and can be found in Appendix “B”

This document focuses on each article of the CRPD. Along with the text of each article it provides “A declaration of needs and characteristics,” which explains the context of the article for blind and partially sighted people. It then highlights important aspects of the article and goes on to list the requirements needed to fulfil the obligations of the article towards blind and partially sighted people.
It must be accepted that not every requirement in this document will be met immediately. But the statements provide a destination, and read in conjunction with the access checklist and the material on advocacy will help with planning and prioritisation.
These statements are useful background tools for blind and partially sighted people and their supporters. They will serve as guidance and may need to be adapted, and expressed in plain language for advocacy purposes. Accompanying them with personal stories to illustrate local human rights violations in particular situations is very useful. Real life stories help people with little grasp of seemingly abstract human rights issues to understand and make positive human-rights-based decisions.
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