UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
The CRPD is the first comprehensive international human rights treaty to focus on the rights of persons with disabilities. Adopted by the UN General Assembly in 2006 and entering into force in 2008, it has been ratified by over 185 countries, making it one of the most widely ratified UN treaties — notably, the US has signed but not ratified.
What the law requires
The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) represents a paradigm shift in how disability is understood — from a medical or charitable model to a human rights model. It affirms that people with disabilities have the same human rights as everyone else and that governments must take affirmative steps to ensure those rights can be exercised.
The CRPD has 50 articles. The most practically important for people using assistive technology and accessing services include:
Article 9 — Accessibility: States must ensure equal access to the physical environment, transportation, information and communications technology, and services open to the public. This includes requiring private entities providing public services to ensure accessibility.
Article 12 — Equal recognition before the law: People with disabilities have legal capacity on an equal basis with others. States must provide supported decision-making rather than substituted decision-making (guardianship). This article has significant implications for guardianship and mental health commitment laws.
Article 19 — Living independently and being included in the community: People with disabilities have the right to choose where and with whom they live, with access to community supports. This article is central to the movement against institutionalization and in favour of Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS).
Article 24 — Education: Inclusive education at all levels, with reasonable accommodation and the support needed to exercise this right, including through assistive technology and alternative formats. The CRPD favours inclusive education over segregated special education.
Article 27 — Work and employment: The right to work on an equal basis, including the right to reasonable accommodation in the workplace. States must promote employment opportunities and career advancement.
The Optional Protocol allows the CRPD Committee to receive individual complaints from people who claim their rights under the CRPD have been violated. Countries must ratify the Optional Protocol separately.
Who it protects
People with "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." The CRPD uses a social model of disability — disability is the interaction between the person and societal barriers, not solely a characteristic of the individual.
Who must comply
Ratifying states (currently 185+). The CRPD creates obligations for governments, not private companies directly. However, governments must take measures to address private sector barriers as well.
The United States' position is notable: The US was a key architect of the CRPD and signed it in 2009, but the Senate has not ratified it, citing concerns about sovereignty and potential conflicts with existing US law. The CRPD was brought to a Senate vote in 2012 and 2013 and failed to achieve the required two-thirds majority.
What it does NOT cover (common misunderstandings)
The CRPD does not create directly enforceable rights in the US. Without ratification, the CRPD is a political commitment, not a binding legal obligation for the US government.
Even for ratifying countries, the CRPD creates obligations on states rather than directly conferring individual rights that can be enforced in domestic courts (unless incorporated into national law).
How to enforce your rights
Individuals in countries that have ratified the Optional Protocol can submit communications to the CRPD Committee after exhausting domestic remedies. The Committee reviews state party reports and can issue recommendations. While these are not legally binding, they carry significant political weight.
Disability advocates worldwide use the CRPD as a benchmark to push for domestic law reform. In many countries, courts have cited the CRPD when interpreting national disability rights laws.
Recent updates
The CRPD Committee regularly issues General Comments providing detailed guidance on specific articles. Notable recent General Comments cover Article 19 (independent living), Article 12 (legal capacity), and Article 24 (inclusive education). The Committee has also addressed technology, digital accessibility, and the rights of persons with disabilities in the context of COVID-19. The 2030 Sustainable Development Goals explicitly include commitments to disability inclusion, reinforcing the CRPD framework globally.