The <scp>UN C</scp>onvention on the <scp>R</scp>ights of <scp>P</scp>ersons with <scp>D</scp>isabilities: Implementing a Paradigm Shift

Abstract

Abstract Implementation of the U nited N ations' ( UN ) C onvention on the R ights of P ersons with D isabilities ( CRPD ), together with the new UN commitment to ensure the inclusion of people with disabilities in the post‐2015 S ustainable D evelopment G oals ( SDGs ), should now be considered an overarching priority by organizations and individuals committed to improving the quality of life of people with disabilities. The CRPD is not merely the latest in a long line of UN declarations, but a potential catalyst for a radical reappraisal of policy and practice among governments and organizations of persons with disabilities (disabled persons organizations ( DPOs )) and by service planners and providers, members of professional and voluntary organizations, the research community, and by society at large. The 152 governments that have ratified the CRPD have entered into a commitment in international law to submit detailed reports to the CRPD C ommittee of the UN human rights commission. Although some DPOs have made good use of their right of access to this C ommittee, there is cause of concern about resources available to others. The C ommittee's criticisms of the nature and quality of government implementation highlight the need for sustained and informed advocacy by civil society and the use of the I nternet and social media to raise public awareness about the potential of the CRPD to benefit people with disabilities. The author posits that lack of data on persons with disabilities in many countries now presents the most serious obstacle to accountability and monitoring. It is suggested that scientific and professional bodies need to work more earnestly in partnership with DPOs in a combined effort to make a reality of the C onvention and the emerging SDGs in a new dynamic of “research to practice.”