Embracing the New Disability Rights Paradigm: The Importance of the Convention of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities

Abstract

In 2008 the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) commenced operation. The CRPD has created a dymanic new disability rights paradigm that empowers disability people's organizations and creates a new paradigm for disability scholars. This paper analyses the imact of the CRPD and provides practical guidance as to how this convention can be used to drive change. Prior to this convention, persons with disabilities were protected by a range of general human rights conventions. Despite receiving nominal protection under general human rights conventions, persons with disabilities have had many of their human rights denied to them. The CRPD goes further than merely re-stating rights. It created a new rights discourse, empowers civil society and renders human rights more obtainable for persons with disabilites that any time in history.

Keywords: United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, disability human rights, rights paradigm