UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities

Preamble

The States Parties to this Convention,

1. (a) Bearing in mind the principles set out in the Charter of the United Nations, which regard the inherent dignity, worth and equal and inalienable rights of every member of the human family as the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world,
2. (b) Taking into account that the United Nations, through the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenants on Human Rights, has recognized and proclaimed that every person is entitled to the rights and freedoms recognized therein without discrimination of any kind,
3. (c) Reaffirming that all human rights and fundamental freedoms are universal, indivisible, interrelated and interdependent, and that persons with disabilities must be guaranteed the enjoyment of these rights without any discrimination,
4. (d) Keeping in mind the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families,
5. (e) Accepting that disability is an evolving concept and that disability arises from the interaction between persons with impairments and the attitudinal and environmental barriers that prevent their full and effective participation in society on an equal basis with others,
6. (f) Taking into account the contribution that the principles and policy recommendations contained in the World Programme of Action concerning Disabled Persons and the Standard Rules on the Equalization of Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities make to the development, design and evaluation of policies, plans, programmes and actions at the national, regional and international levels aimed at providing equal opportunities to persons with disabilities,
7. (g) Stressing the importance of addressing disability issues as an integral part of strategies for sustainable development,
8. (h) Also accepting that discrimination against a person because of disability amounts to a violation of the inherent dignity and worth of every human being,
9. (i) Further accepting the diversity of persons with disabilities,
10. (j) Accepting the need to strengthen and protect the human rights of all persons with disabilities, including those who need more intensive support,
11. (k) Concerned that, in spite of the various instruments and undertakings in place, persons with disabilities still face barriers to participating in society as equal members and continue to suffer violations of their human rights in every part of the world,
12. (l) Aware of the importance of international cooperation for improving the living conditions of persons with disabilities in all countries, particularly in developing countries,
13. (m) Accepting the valuable existing and potential contributions of persons with disabilities to the well-being and diversity of society, and that encouraging persons with disabilities to fully exercise their human rights and fundamental freedoms and to participate fully in society will contribute to their sense of belonging, to the human, social and economic development of society and to the reduction of poverty,
14. (n) Accepting the importance for persons with disabilities of their individual existence and independence, including the freedom to make their own choices,
15. (o) Considering that persons with disabilities should be able to take an active part in decision-making processes on policies and programmes, including those that directly concern them,
16. (p) Concerned about the difficult conditions faced by persons with disabilities who are subjected to multiple and therefore aggravated forms of discrimination on the basis of race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national, ethnic or social origin, property, birth, age or other status,
17. (q) Aware that women and girls with disabilities are at greater risk, both within and outside the home, of violence, injury or abuse, neglect or negligent treatment, maltreatment or exploitation,
18. (r) Accepting that children with disabilities should fully enjoy all human rights and fundamental freedoms on an equal basis with other children, and recalling in this regard the obligations undertaken by the States Parties to the Convention on the Rights of the Child,
19. (s) Stressing the need to incorporate a gender perspective into all efforts to promote the full enjoyment of human rights and fundamental freedoms by persons with disabilities,
20. (t) Underlining that the majority of persons with disabilities live in conditions of poverty, and in this respect accepting the critical importance of drawing attention to the negative impact of poverty on persons with disabilities,
21. (u) Keeping in mind that an environment of peace and security founded on respect for the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations, together with observance of the applicable human rights instruments, is indispensable for the protection of persons with disabilities, in particular in situations of armed conflict and occupation,
22. (v) Accepting the importance of access to the physical, social, economic and cultural environment, to health and education services and to information and communication in enabling persons with disabilities to fully enjoy all human rights and fundamental freedoms,
23. (w) Aware that the individual, who has duties towards other individuals and towards the community to which he or she belongs, is under an obligation to strive for the promotion and observance of the rights defined in the International Bill of Human Rights,
24. (x) Believing that the family is the natural and fundamental unit of society and is entitled to protection by society and the State, and that persons with disabilities and their family members should receive the necessary protection and support so that persons with disabilities can enjoy all human rights fully and equally,
25. (y) Convinced that a comprehensive international convention that strengthens and protects the rights and dignity of persons with disabilities will make a significant contribution, in both developed and developing countries, to eliminating the profound social disadvantages of persons with disabilities and to promoting their participation in the civil, political, economic, social and cultural spheres with equal opportunities,

Have agreed upon the following provisions:

Article 1: Purpose

The purpose of this Convention is to promote and ensure the full and equal enjoyment of all human rights and fundamental freedoms by persons with disabilities, and to strengthen respect for their inherent dignity.

The concept of persons with disabilities includes those who have long-term physical, mental, intellectual or sensory impairments that hinder their full and effective participation in society on an equal basis with others.

Article 2: Definitions

For the purposes of this Convention:

“Communication” includes languages, the display of text, Braille, tactile communication, large print, written, audio and accessible multimedia, plain language, human reading, body language and communication carried out through other modes, means and formats, including accessible information and communication technology;

“Language” covers spoken languages, sign languages and other non-spoken languages;

“Discrimination on the basis of disability” covers any distinction, exclusion or restriction made on the basis of disability that hinders the full exercise or enjoyment, on an equal basis with others, of human rights and fundamental freedoms in the political, economic, social, cultural, civil or any other field. Discrimination on the basis of disability covers all forms of discrimination, including the denial of reasonable accommodation;

“Reasonable accommodation” means the necessary and appropriate modifications and adjustments, not imposing a disproportionate or undue burden, that are needed in a particular case to ensure that persons with disabilities can exercise or enjoy all human rights and fundamental freedoms fully and on an equal basis with others;

“Universal design” means designing products, environments, programmes and services so that they can be used by all people to the greatest extent possible, without the need for adaptation or specialized design. “Universal design” shall not exclude the design of assistive devices needed for particular groups of persons with disabilities where this is required.

Article 3: General Principles

The principles on which this Convention is based are as follows:

1. (a) Respect for the inherent dignity and individual autonomy of persons, including their freedom to make their own choices and their independence;
2. (b) Non-discrimination;
3. (c) Full and effective participation and inclusion of persons with disabilities in society;
4. (d) Respect for difference and acceptance of persons with disabilities as part of human diversity and humanity;
5. (e) Equality of opportunity;
6. (f) Accessibility;
7. (g) Equality between men and women;
8. (h) Respect for the evolving capacities of children with disabilities and for their right to preserve their identities.

Article 4: General Obligations

1. States Parties are under an obligation to ensure the full realization of all human rights and fundamental freedoms for all persons with disabilities, without permitting any discrimination on the basis of disability, and to strengthen the rights and freedoms of persons with disabilities. To this end, States Parties undertake:

1. (a) To adopt all legislative, administrative and other measures necessary for the implementation of the rights recognized in this Convention;
2. (b) To take all appropriate measures, including legislation, needed to amend or abolish existing laws, regulations, customs and practices that constitute discrimination against persons with disabilities;
3. (c) To take into account the protection and strengthening of the human rights of persons with disabilities in all policies and programmes;
4. (d) To refrain from any act or practice that is inconsistent with this Convention and to ensure that public authorities and institutions act in conformity with this Convention;
5. (e) To take all appropriate measures needed to prevent discriminatory practices on the basis of disability by any person, organization or private enterprise;
6. (f) To undertake or promote the research, development, supply and availability of universally designed products, services, equipment and facilities, as defined in article 2 of the Convention, that require the minimum possible adaptation and the least cost to meet the specific needs of persons with disabilities, and to make use of universal design in the development of standards and guidelines;
7. (g) To undertake or promote the research, development, supply and availability of new technologies suited to persons with disabilities, such as information and communications technologies, mobility aids and assistive technologies, giving priority to technologies at an affordable cost;
8. (h) To ensure the provision of accessible information to persons with disabilities about mobility aids and assistive technologies, including new technologies, as well as about other forms of assistance, support services and facilities that accompany them,
9. (i) To promote the training of professionals and staff working with persons with disabilities in the rights recognized in this Convention, and thereby to improve the support and services guaranteed by those rights

States Parties undertake to fulfil each of the commitments listed above.

2. With regard to economic, social and cultural rights, States Parties undertake to take measures to the maximum extent of their available resources and, where needed, within the framework of international cooperation, with a view to progressively achieving the full enjoyment of these rights by persons with disabilities, without prejudice to those obligations contained in this Convention that are immediately applicable under international law.

3. In developing and implementing legislation and policies to carry out this Convention, and in other decision-making processes concerning persons with disabilities, States Parties shall consult continuously with persons with disabilities, including children with disabilities, through their representative organizations, and shall actively involve them in these processes.

4. Nothing in this Convention shall affect any provisions that are more favourable to the realization of the rights of persons with disabilities and that are contained in the law of a State Party or in the rules of international law by which that State Party has undertaken to abide. No State Party may restrict or partially modify any of the fundamental human rights in force under law, conventions, regulations or custom on the ground that this Convention does not provide for such rights or provides for them to a narrower extent.

5. The provisions of this Convention shall apply to all parts of federal States without any limitation or exception.

Article 5: Non-discrimination and Equality

1. States Parties accept that all persons are equal before and under the law and are entitled, without any discrimination, to the equal protection and equal benefit of the law.

2. States Parties shall prohibit all discrimination on the basis of disability and shall guarantee persons with disabilities equal and effective protection against discrimination on any ground.

3. In order to achieve equality and eliminate discrimination, States Parties shall take all necessary steps to ensure that reasonable accommodation is provided for persons with disabilities.

4. Specific measures that are necessary to accelerate or achieve the de facto equality of persons with disabilities shall not be regarded as discrimination for the purposes of this Convention.

Article 6: Women with Disabilities

1. States Parties accept that women and girls with disabilities are exposed to multiple forms of discrimination and, in this respect, shall take measures to ensure that they enjoy all human rights and fundamental freedoms fully and on equal terms.

2. States Parties shall take all necessary measures to ensure the full development, advancement and empowerment of women, so that they can exercise and enjoy the human rights and fundamental freedoms set out in this Convention.

Article 7: Children with Disabilities

1. States Parties shall take all necessary measures to ensure that children with disabilities fully enjoy all human rights and fundamental freedoms on an equal basis with other children.

2. In all actions concerning children with disabilities, priority shall be given to the best interests of the child.

3. States Parties shall ensure that children with disabilities have the right to express their views freely on all matters affecting them, on an equal basis with other children, that their views are given due weight in accordance with their age and maturity, and that they are provided with disability- and age-appropriate support so that this right can be realized.

Article 8: Awareness-raising

1. States Parties undertake to adopt immediate, effective and appropriate measures in order to achieve the following aims:

1. (a) To raise awareness of persons with disabilities throughout society, including within the family, and to promote respect for the rights and dignity of persons with disabilities;
2. (b) To combat stereotypes, prejudices and harmful practices directed at persons with disabilities, as well as discriminatory behaviour based on sex and age, in all areas of life;
3. (c) To create awareness of the capabilities and contributions of persons with disabilities.

2. Measures to this end include the following:

1. (a) Designing, launching and maintaining effective public awareness campaigns aimed at:
2. (i) Educating the public about the acceptance of the rights of persons with disabilities;
3. (ii) Promoting positive attitudes and greater social awareness towards persons with disabilities;
4. (iii) Encouraging public recognition of the contribution that the skills, merits and abilities of persons with disabilities make to the workplace and the labour market;
5. (b) Encouraging, at all levels of the education system and in all children from an early age, an attitude of respect for the human rights of persons with disabilities;
6. (c) Encouraging all media to portray persons with disabilities in a manner consistent with the purpose of this Convention;
7. (d) Supporting training programmes that raise awareness of persons with disabilities and their rights.

Article 9: Accessibility

1. To enable persons with disabilities to live independently and participate effectively in all aspects of life, States Parties shall take appropriate measures to ensure that persons with disabilities have access, on an equal basis with others, to the physical environment, to transportation, to information and communications, including information and communications technologies and systems, and to other facilities and services open to the public, in both rural and urban areas. These measures, which include identifying and eliminating barriers to access, shall apply, among other things, to:

1. (a) Buildings, roads, means of transportation and other indoor and outdoor facilities, including schools, housing, health facilities and workplaces;
2. (b) Information and communication means and other services, including electronic services and emergency services.

2. States Parties shall also take appropriate measures in order to:

1. (a) Develop and publicize minimum standards and guidelines for access to facilities and services that are open or provided to the public, and monitor their implementation;
2. (b) Ensure that private enterprises that operate facilities open to the public or provide services to the public take into account all aspects of accessibility for persons with disabilities;
3. (c) Provide training for those concerned on the accessibility issues faced by persons with disabilities;
4. (d) Provide signage in Braille and in easy-to-understand forms in buildings and other facilities open to the public;
5. (e) Provide various forms of live assistance and intermediaries, including guides, readers and professional sign language interpreters, to facilitate access to buildings and facilities open to the public;
6. (f) Promote the provision of assistance and support to persons with disabilities in appropriate ways so that they can access information;
7. (g) Promote access for persons with disabilities to new information and communications technologies and systems, including the Internet;
8. (h) Promote the design, development and distribution of accessible information and communications technologies and systems from the earliest stage, so that these technologies and systems become accessible to persons with disabilities at minimum cost.

Article 10: Right to Life

States Parties reaffirm that every human being has the right to life and shall take all necessary measures to ensure that persons with disabilities enjoy this right effectively and on an equal basis with others.

Article 11: Situations of Risk and Humanitarian Emergencies

States Parties shall take all necessary measures, in accordance with their obligations under international law, including international humanitarian law and international human rights law, to ensure the protection and safety of persons with disabilities in situations of risk, including situations of armed conflict, humanitarian emergencies and natural disasters.

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 accept 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 enable persons with disabilities to obtain the support they may require in exercising their legal capacity.

4. States Parties shall ensure that all measures relating to the exercise of legal capacity provide 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 preferences of the person, are free of conflict of interest, do not involve undue influence on the will of the person, are proportional to and take account of 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. These safeguards shall be proportional to the degree to which such measures affect the rights and interests of the person.

5. Within the framework of this article, States Parties shall take all appropriate and effective measures to ensure that persons with disabilities have equal rights with others to own or inherit property, to control their own financial affairs and to have access to bank loans, mortgages and other 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. To this end, procedural and age-appropriate accommodations shall be made, and their direct and indirect participation in all legal proceedings, including investigations and other preliminary stages and appearing as witnesses, shall be facilitated.

2. In order to ensure effective access to justice for persons with disabilities, States Parties shall ensure that those working in the justice system, including police and prison staff, receive the necessary training.

Article 14: Liberty and Security of the Person

1. States Parties shall ensure that persons with disabilities, on an equal basis with others, enjoy the following rights:

1. (a) The enjoyment of the right to liberty and security of the person;
2. (b) Not being deprived of their liberty unlawfully or arbitrarily, any restriction of liberty being grounded in law, and disability never being put forward as a justification for restricting liberty under any circumstances.

2. Where persons with disabilities are deprived of their liberty as a result of any process, States Parties shall ensure that this is done on an equal basis with others, that persons with disabilities are entitled to safeguards in accordance with international human rights law, and that they are treated in a manner consistent with the objectives and principles of the Convention, including the provisions on reasonable accommodation.

Article 15: Freedom from Torture or Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment

1. No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. In particular, no one shall be subjected to medical or scientific experimentation without his or her consent.

2. States Parties shall take all effective legislative, administrative, judicial and other measures to protect persons with disabilities, on an equal basis with others, from torture or cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.

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 exploitation, violence and abuse in all their forms, including their gender-based forms.

2. States Parties shall take all appropriate measures to prevent all forms of exploitation, violence and abuse by providing persons with disabilities, their families and caregivers with gender- and age-appropriate assistance and support, and by giving them information and education on how to prevent, recognize and report cases of exploitation, violence and abuse. States Parties shall ensure that protection services are sensitive to age, gender and disability.

3. In order to prevent all forms of exploitation, violence and abuse, States Parties shall ensure that all facilities and programmes 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 incidents occurring in the course of the provision of protection services. Such recovery and reintegration shall enable the person to regain health, self-respect, dignity and autonomy, and shall take into account needs specific to age and gender.

5. States Parties shall put in place effective legislation and policies, including women- and child-focused legislation and policies, to ensure that instances of exploitation, violence and abuse against persons with disabilities are identified, investigated and, where appropriate, prosecuted.

Article 17: Protecting the Integrity of the Person

Every person with disabilities has the right to respect for his or her physical and mental integrity on an equal basis with others.

Article 18: Liberty of Movement and Nationality

1. States Parties accept that persons with disabilities have the right, on an equal basis with others, to liberty of movement, to freedom to choose their place of residence and to a nationality, and shall ensure the following rights of persons with disabilities:

1. (a) To have the right to acquire and change a nationality, and not to be deprived of their nationality arbitrarily or on the basis of disability;
2. (b) Not to be deprived, on the basis of disability, of the ability to obtain, possess and use documentation of their nationality or other identity documents, or to carry out procedures such as immigration proceedings that may be needed to facilitate the exercise of the right to liberty of movement;
3. (c) To be free to leave any country, including their own;
4. (d) Not to be deprived, arbitrarily or on the basis of disability, of the right to enter their own country.

2. Children with disabilities shall be registered immediately after birth and shall have the right from birth to a name, the right to acquire a nationality and, as far as possible, the right to know and be cared for by their parents.

Article 19: Living Independently and Being Included in the Community

States Parties to this Convention accept that all persons with disabilities have the right to live in the community on an equal basis with others, and shall take effective and necessary measures to facilitate the full enjoyment of this right by persons with disabilities and their full inclusion and participation in the community. Within this framework, attention shall be given to the following points:

1. (a) Persons with disabilities have the right to choose their place of residence and where and with whom they live on an equal basis with others, and shall not be obliged to live in a particular living arrangement;
2. (b) Persons with disabilities shall have access to the in-home, residential and other community support services they need to live in and be included in the community, including personal assistance, and their isolation or segregation from the community shall be prevented;
3. (c) Community services and facilities for the general public shall be available to persons with disabilities on an equal basis with others and shall be responsive to their needs.

Article 20: Personal Mobility

States Parties shall take all effective and necessary measures to ensure that persons with disabilities can move with the greatest possible independence within the means available. These measures are as follows:

1. (a) Facilitating the personal mobility of persons with disabilities in the manner and at the time of their choice, and at an affordable cost;
2. (b) Facilitating access by persons with disabilities to quality mobility aids, devices, assistive technologies and forms of live assistance and intermediaries, at an affordable cost;
3. (c) Providing training in mobility skills to persons with disabilities and to specialist staff working with persons with disabilities;
4. (d) Encouraging entities that produce mobility aids, devices and assistive technologies to take into account all needs of persons with disabilities.

Article 21: Freedom of Expression and Opinion, and Access to Information

States Parties shall take all appropriate measures to ensure that persons with disabilities can use all forms of communication defined in Article 2 of this Convention as they choose, and can enjoy, on an equal basis with others, freedom of expression and opinion, including the freedom to seek, receive and impart information and ideas. These measures shall include the following:

1. (a) Providing information intended for the general public to persons with disabilities in a timely manner and without additional cost, in accessible formats and through technologies appropriate to different kinds of disabilities;
2. (b) Facilitating the use by persons with disabilities, in official interactions, of sign languages, Braille, body language and all other accessible means, modes and formats of communication of their choice;
3. (c) Encouraging private entities that provide services to the general public, including through the Internet, to provide information and services in formats that are accessible to and usable by persons with disabilities;
4. (d) Encouraging mass media providers, including those that provide information through the Internet, to make their services accessible to persons with disabilities;
5. (e) Recognizing and promoting the use of sign languages.

Article 22: Respect for Privacy

1. Regardless of place of residence or living arrangements, no person with disabilities shall be subjected to arbitrary or unlawful interference with his or her privacy, family, home, correspondence or other types of communication, or to unlawful attacks on his or her honour and reputation. Persons with disabilities have the right to the protection of the law against such interference or attacks.

2. States Parties shall protect the privacy of personal, health and rehabilitation information of persons with disabilities on an equal basis with others.

Article 23: Respect for Home and the Family

1. States Parties shall take effective and appropriate measures to eliminate discrimination against persons with disabilities in all matters relating to marriage, family, parenthood and personal relationships, bearing in mind that persons with disabilities are equal to others. Within this framework, the following shall be ensured:

1. (a) The right of persons with disabilities who are of marriageable age to marry and to found a family is recognized, and this right is exercised on the basis of the free will and consent of the intending spouses;
2. (b) The right of persons with disabilities to decide freely and responsibly on the number and spacing of their children is recognized, together with the right of access to age-appropriate information and to reproductive and family planning education, and the means necessary to exercise these rights are provided;
3. (c) Persons with disabilities, including children, are not deprived of their fertility, on an equal basis with others.

2. States Parties shall guarantee the rights and responsibilities of persons with disabilities with regard to custody, guardianship, trusteeship, adoption of children or similar institutions where these concepts exist in national legislation, provided that the best interests of the child shall in all cases be paramount. States Parties shall provide appropriate support to persons with disabilities in carrying out their child-rearing responsibilities.

3. States Parties shall ensure that children with disabilities have equal rights with others with respect to family life. In order to realize these rights, and to prevent concealment, abandonment, neglect and segregation of children with disabilities, States Parties shall provide early and comprehensive information, services and support to children with disabilities and their families.

4. States Parties shall ensure that a child is not separated from his or her family against the will of the family. The exception to this is where competent authorities subject to judicial review determine, in accordance with applicable law and procedures, that such separation is necessary for the best interests of the child. In no case shall a child be separated from his or her parents on the basis of a disability of either the child or one or both of the parents.

5. Where the immediate family is unable to care for a child with disabilities, States Parties undertake to make every effort to provide alternative care within the wider family and, where this is not possible, within a community setting that offers a family environment.

Article 24: Education

1. States Parties recognize the right of persons with disabilities to education. In order to realize this right without discrimination and on the basis of equal opportunity, States Parties shall ensure that the education system includes persons with disabilities in an inclusive manner at all levels and provides lifelong learning opportunities. To this end, the following aims shall be pursued:

1. (a) The full development of human potential and of the sense of dignity and self-worth, and the strengthening of respect for human rights, fundamental freedoms and human diversity;
2. (b) The development by persons with disabilities of their personality, talents and creativity, as well as their mental and physical abilities, to their fullest potential;
3. (c) Enabling persons with disabilities to participate effectively in a free society.

2. In realizing this right, States Parties shall ensure the following:

1. (a) Persons with disabilities shall not be excluded from the general education system on the basis of disability, and children with disabilities shall not be excluded from free and compulsory primary and secondary education on the basis of disability;
2. (b) Persons with disabilities shall be able to access inclusive, quality and free primary and secondary education on an equal basis with others in the communities in which they live;
3. (c) Reasonable accommodation shall be provided according to individual requirements;
4. (d) Persons with disabilities shall receive the support they require within the general education system in order to benefit effectively from general education;
5. (e) Effective individualized support measures for persons with disabilities shall be provided in environments that maximize academic and social development, consistent with the goal of full inclusion.

3. States Parties shall enable persons with disabilities to learn life and social development skills in order to facilitate their full and equal participation in education as equal members of the community. To this end, States Parties shall take the following measures:

1. (a) Facilitating the learning of Braille and other forms of script, of body language and of alternative means and formats of communication, as well as of orientation and mobility skills for adapting to and moving within a new environment, and facilitating peer support and mentoring;
2. (b) Supporting the learning of sign language and the development of the linguistic identity of persons with hearing and speech impairments;
3. (c) Ensuring that the education of persons who are blind, deaf or deafblind, and in particular of children, is delivered in the most appropriate languages and means and modes of communication, in environments that maximize their academic and social development.

4. In order to help ensure the realization of this right, States Parties shall take appropriate measures to employ teachers, including teachers with disabilities, who are qualified in sign language and Braille, and to train professionals and staff working at all levels of education. Such training shall include disability awareness and the use of alternative means and formats of communication, as well as supportive educational techniques and materials.

5. States Parties shall ensure that persons with disabilities have access, without discrimination and on an equal basis with others, to general tertiary education, vocational training, adult education and lifelong learning. To this end, States Parties shall ensure that reasonable accommodation suited to the needs of persons with disabilities is provided.

Article 25: Health

States Parties recognize the right of persons with disabilities to enjoy the highest attainable standard of health without discrimination on the basis of disability. States Parties shall take all appropriate measures to enable persons with disabilities to access gender-sensitive health services, including health-related rehabilitation.

States Parties shall:

1. (a) Ensure that free or affordable health care and programmes are provided to persons with disabilities with the same range, quality and standard as are provided to others, and that these services include sexual and reproductive health and public health programmes;
2. (b) Provide the health services that persons with disabilities need specifically because of their disabilities. These health services shall cover early identification and, where possible, intervention, as well as services designed to minimize and prevent further disabilities, including among children and older persons;
3. (c) Ensure that health services are brought as close as possible to people's own communities, including in rural areas;
4. (d) Raise awareness of the human rights, dignity, autonomy and needs of persons with disabilities, among other measures by providing training and by promulgating ethical standards for public and private health care, so that health professionals provide care of the same quality to persons with disabilities as to others and base that care on the free and informed consent of patients;
5. (e) Prohibit discrimination against persons with disabilities in the provision of health insurance and life insurance where such insurance is regulated by national law, and ensure that such insurance is provided in a fair and reasonable manner;
6. (f) Take the necessary measures to prevent the denial of health care or health services, or of food and fluids, on the basis of disability.

Article 26: Habilitation and Rehabilitation

1. States Parties shall take effective and appropriate measures, including through peer support, to enable persons with disabilities to attain maximum independence and full physical, mental, social and vocational ability, and full inclusion and participation in all aspects of life. To that end, States Parties shall provide comprehensive habilitation and rehabilitation services, particularly in the areas of health, employment, education and social services, and shall strengthen and extend existing services. In doing so, they shall proceed as follows:

1. (a) Habilitation and rehabilitation services and programmes shall begin at the earliest possible stage and shall be based on a multidisciplinary assessment of individual needs and strengths;
2. (b) Participation in habilitation and rehabilitation services and programmes that support the participation and inclusion of persons with disabilities in the community shall be voluntary, and such services and programmes shall be available as close as possible to where persons with disabilities live, including in rural areas.

2. States Parties shall promote the development of initial and continuing training programmes for professionals and staff working in habilitation and rehabilitation services.

3. States Parties shall promote the availability, knowledge and use of assistive devices and technologies designed for persons with disabilities as they relate to habilitation and rehabilitation.

Article 27: Work and Employment

1. States Parties accept that persons with disabilities have the right to work on an equal basis with others. This right includes the opportunity for persons with disabilities to earn a living by work they freely choose in a labour market and work environment that is open, inclusive and accessible. States Parties shall safeguard the realization of the right to work for all persons with disabilities, including those who acquire a disability while employed, by taking all appropriate measures, including through legislation. In addition, States Parties shall:

1. (a) Prohibit discrimination on the basis of disability in all matters concerning employment, including conditions of recruitment and employment, continuance of employment, career advancement and healthy and safe working conditions;
2. (b) Protect the rights of persons with disabilities, on an equal basis with others, to just and favourable conditions of work, including equal opportunity, equal remuneration for work of equal value, protection from harassment and redress of grievances, and safe and healthy working conditions;
3. (c) Ensure that persons with disabilities are able to exercise their labour and trade union rights on an equal basis with others;
4. (d) Enable persons with disabilities to have effective access, on an equal basis with others, to general technical and vocational guidance programmes, placement services and vocational and continuing training;
5. (e) Promote employment opportunities and career advancement for persons with disabilities in the labour market, and assist persons with disabilities in finding, obtaining, maintaining and returning to employment;
6. (f) Develop opportunities for self-employment, entrepreneurship, the development of cooperatives and starting one's own business;
7. (g) Employ persons with disabilities in the public sector;
8. (h) Promote the employment of persons with disabilities in the private sector through appropriate policies and measures, which may include affirmative action programmes, incentives and other measures;
9. (i) Ensure that reasonable accommodation is provided in workplaces where persons with disabilities work;
10. (j) Ensure that persons with disabilities gain work experience in the open labour market;
11. (k) Carry out vocational rehabilitation, job retention and return-to-work programmes for persons with disabilities.

2. States Parties shall prevent persons with disabilities from being held in slavery or servitude and shall protect persons with disabilities, on an equal basis with others, from forced or compulsory labour.

Article 28: Adequate Standard of Living and Social Protection

1. States Parties recognize the right of persons with disabilities to an adequate standard of living for themselves and their families, including adequate food, clothing and housing, and to the continuous improvement of living conditions. States Parties shall take the necessary steps to ensure that this right is recognized without discrimination on the basis of disability.

2. States Parties recognize the right of persons with disabilities to social protection and to the enjoyment of that right without discrimination on the basis of disability, and shall take the necessary steps to safeguard and promote the realization of this right, including the following measures:

1. (a) Ensuring equal access by persons with disabilities to clean water services and to appropriate and affordable services, and ensuring their access to devices and other assistance related to their needs;
2. (b) Ensuring access by persons with disabilities, in particular women and girls with disabilities and older persons with disabilities, to social protection programmes and poverty reduction programmes;
3. (c) Ensuring access by persons with disabilities and their families living in situations of poverty to assistance from the State with disability-related expenses, including adequate training, counselling, financial assistance and respite care;
4. (d) Ensuring access by persons with disabilities to public housing programmes;
5. (e) Ensuring equal access by persons with disabilities to retirement benefits and programmes.

Article 29: Participation in Political and Public Life

States Parties shall guarantee to persons with disabilities political rights and the opportunity to enjoy them on an equal basis with others, and shall undertake the following:

1. (a) To ensure that persons with disabilities can participate effectively and fully in political and public life on an equal basis with others, directly or through freely chosen representatives, including the right to vote and to be elected, among other things by:
2. (i) Ensuring that voting procedures, facilities and materials are appropriate, accessible and easy to understand and use,
3. (ii) Protecting the right of persons with disabilities to vote by secret ballot in elections and referendums without intimidation, to stand for election, to hold office effectively and to perform all public functions at all levels of government, and facilitating the use of assistive and new technologies where appropriate,
4. (iii) Guaranteeing that persons with disabilities can freely express their will as electors and, to this end, where necessary and at their request, allowing them to be assisted in voting by a person of their own choice,
5. (b) To create an environment in which persons with disabilities can participate effectively and fully in the conduct of public affairs, without discrimination and on an equal basis with others, and to encourage their participation in public affairs, including the following:
6. (i) Participation in the activities and administration of non-governmental organizations, associations and political parties concerned with the public and political life of the country;
7. (ii) Forming organizations of persons with disabilities to represent persons with disabilities at the international, national, regional and local levels, and ensuring that persons with disabilities take part in them.

Article 30: Participation in Cultural Life, Recreation, Leisure and Sport

1. States Parties recognize the right of persons with disabilities to take part in cultural life on an equal basis with others, and shall take all necessary measures to ensure that persons with disabilities can:

1. (a) Access cultural materials in accessible formats;
2. (b) Access television programmes, films, theatre and other cultural activities in accessible formats;
3. (c) Access places where cultural performances are held or services are provided, such as theatres, museums, cinemas, libraries and tourism services, as well as, as far as possible, monuments and sites of national cultural importance.

2. States Parties shall take the necessary measures to enable persons with disabilities to develop and use their creative, artistic and intellectual potential, not only for their own benefit but also for the enrichment of society.

3. States Parties shall take all appropriate steps, in accordance with international law, to ensure that laws protecting intellectual property rights do not constitute an unreasonable or discriminatory barrier to access by persons with disabilities to cultural materials.

4. Persons with disabilities are entitled, on an equal basis with others, to recognition of and support for their specific cultural and linguistic identity, such as sign languages and deaf culture.

5. With a view to enabling persons with disabilities to participate on an equal basis with others in recreational, leisure and sporting activities, States Parties shall take the following measures:

1. (a) To encourage and increase the participation, to the fullest extent possible, of persons with disabilities in mainstream sporting activities at all levels;
2. (b) To ensure that persons with disabilities have an opportunity to organize, develop and participate in disability-specific sporting and recreational activities and, to this end, to ensure that appropriate information, training and resources are provided to them on an equal basis with others;
3. (c) To ensure that persons with disabilities have access to sporting, recreational and tourism venues;
4. (d) To ensure that children with disabilities can participate equally in play, recreation, leisure and sporting activities, including activities in schools;
5. (e) To ensure that persons with disabilities have access to services from those involved in organizing recreational, tourism, leisure and sporting activities.

Article 31: Statistics and Data Collection

1. States Parties shall collect appropriate information, including statistical data and research findings, to guide them in formulating and developing the policies needed to give effect to this Convention. In collecting and maintaining this information, the following points shall be taken into account:

1. (a) It shall comply with legally established safeguards concerning data protection, respect for the private lives of persons with disabilities and confidentiality.
2. (b) It shall comply with internationally accepted norms on the protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms and with ethical principles in the collection and use of statistics.

2. Information collected under this article shall, where appropriate, be disseminated and used to assess the implementation by States Parties of their obligations under this Convention and to identify the difficulties that persons with disabilities face in exercising their rights.

3. States Parties shall take responsibility for disseminating the statistics they collect and shall ensure that these data are accessible to persons with disabilities and others.

Article 32: International Cooperation

1. States Parties accept and promote the importance of international cooperation in support of national efforts to achieve the purpose and obligations of this Convention. Accordingly, they shall take the necessary measures to cooperate between and among States and, where appropriate, with relevant international and regional organizations and with civil society, in particular organizations of persons with disabilities. These measures shall include, among other things:

1. (a) Guaranteeing that international cooperation, including international development programmes, includes persons with disabilities and is accessible to them,
2. (b) Encouraging and supporting capacity-building through the exchange and sharing of information, experience, training programmes and good practices,
3. (c) Developing cooperation in research and in access to scientific and technical knowledge,
4. (d) Providing technical and economic assistance as appropriate, by facilitating access to accessible and assistive technologies and through the transfer of technology.

2. The provisions of this article do not set aside the obligation of each State Party to fulfil its obligations under this Convention.

Article 33: National Implementation and Monitoring

1. In accordance with their own system of organization, States Parties shall designate one or more focal points within government for matters relating to the implementation of this Convention, and shall establish a coordination mechanism within government to facilitate related action across different sectors and at different levels.

2. States Parties shall maintain or establish within their own structures, in accordance with their legal and administrative systems, a framework that includes one or more independent mechanisms to promote, protect and monitor the implementation of this Convention, and shall strengthen that framework. In establishing this framework, States Parties shall also take into account the principles relating to the status and functioning of national institutions for the promotion and protection of human rights.

3. States Parties shall ensure that civil society, in particular persons with disabilities and the organizations representing them, participates fully in the monitoring process.

Article 34: Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities

1. A Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (hereinafter referred to as “the Committee”) shall be established to carry out the functions assigned to it by this Convention.

2. On the date this Convention enters into force, the Committee shall consist of 12 experts. After 60 ratifications or accessions, the membership of the Committee shall be increased by six persons, reaching the maximum of 18 members.

3. Members of the Committee shall serve in their personal capacity and shall be chosen from among persons of high moral standing whose competence and experience in the fields covered by the Convention are recognized. When nominating their candidates, States Parties are invited to take into account the provisions of paragraph 3 of Article 4 of this Convention.

4. Members of the Committee shall be elected by States Parties. In electing the members of the Committee, States Parties shall take into account equitable geographical distribution, representation of the different forms of civilization and of the principal legal systems, balanced gender representation and the participation of experts with disabilities.

5. Members of the Committee shall be elected by secret ballot at sessions of the Conference of States Parties, from a list of candidates nominated by the States Parties from among their own nationals. At these meetings, for which two thirds of the States Parties constitute a quorum, the persons elected shall be those who obtain the largest number of votes and an absolute majority of the votes of the representatives of the States Parties present and voting.

6. The first election shall be held within six months after the entry into force of this Convention. At least four months before each election, the Secretary-General of the United Nations shall write to the States Parties inviting them to submit their nominations within two months. The Secretary-General shall then prepare a list, in alphabetical order, of the candidates nominated by States Parties who meet the requirements of the Convention, indicating the State Party that nominated each of them, and shall send it to the States Parties to this Convention.

7. Members of the Committee shall be elected for a term of four years. They shall be eligible for re-election only once. However, the terms of six of the members elected at the first election shall expire at the end of two years. Immediately after the first election, these six members shall be chosen by lot by the chairperson of the session referred to in paragraph 5 of this article.

8. The election of the six additional members shall take place on the occasion of regular elections held in accordance with the relevant provisions of this article.

9. If a member of the Committee dies, resigns or for any other reason leaves office before the end of his or her term, the State Party that nominated that member shall appoint another expert who possesses the qualifications and meets the requirements set out in the relevant provisions of this article. The new member shall serve for the remainder of the term.

10. The Committee shall establish its own rules of procedure.

11. The Secretary-General of the United Nations shall provide the staff and other resources the Committee requires in order to carry out effectively the functions assigned to it under this Convention. The Secretary-General shall also convene the first meeting of the Committee.

12. Members of the Committee established under the provisions of this Convention shall receive remuneration from United Nations resources, as decided by the General Assembly. In making this decision, the General Assembly shall take into account the responsibilities of the Committee.

13. Members of the Committee shall be entitled to the facilities, privileges and immunities of experts on mission for the United Nations, as set out in the relevant sections of the Convention on the Privileges and Immunities of the United Nations.

Article 35: Reports by States Parties

1. Each State Party shall submit to the Committee, through the Secretary-General of the United Nations, a comprehensive report on the measures taken to give effect to its obligations under the Convention and on the progress made, within two years after the entry into force of the Convention for that State.

2. Thereafter, States Parties shall submit subsequent reports at least every four years and, in addition, whenever the Committee so requests, irrespective of this timetable.

3. The Committee shall decide on the key points that may be referred to for the content of the reports.

4. A State Party that has submitted a comprehensive initial report to the Committee need not repeat previously provided information in its subsequent reports. When preparing reports to the Committee, States Parties should follow an open and transparent process and take into account the provisions of paragraph 3 of Article 4 of this Convention.

5. Reports may also indicate the difficulties and factors affecting the degree to which obligations under the Convention are fulfilled.

Article 36: Consideration of Reports

1. The Committee shall examine each report and send it back to the State Party concerned, together with any suggestions and general comments it considers appropriate. The State Party may respond to the Committee with any information it chooses. The Committee may request further information from States Parties relevant to the implementation of the Convention.

2. Where a State Party is significantly overdue in submitting its report, the Committee may call on the State concerned to submit the report. If the report is not transmitted to the Committee within three months of this call, the Committee may give notice that a need has arisen to review the work done to give effect to the provisions of the Convention in that country. If the State Party responds to this notice by submitting the report concerned, the provisions of paragraph 1 of this article shall apply.

3. The Secretary-General of the United Nations shall make the reports accessible.

4. States Parties shall make their reports widely accessible to the public in their own countries and shall encourage the submission of suggestions and recommendations on those reports.

5. Where it considers this appropriate, the Committee may forward reports containing a request or an indication of a need for technical assistance, together with its own observations and recommendations, to the specialized agencies, funds and programmes of the United Nations and to other competent bodies.

Article 37: Cooperation between States Parties and the Committee

1. Each State Party shall cooperate with the Committee and assist its members in carrying out their mandate.

2. In its relationship with States Parties, the Committee shall give a State responsibilities, including through international cooperation, regarding ways and means of enhancing its national capacity to implement the Convention.

Article 38: Relationship of the Committee with Other Bodies

In order to strengthen the effective implementation of the provisions of the Convention and to encourage international cooperation in the field covered by the Convention:

1. The specialized agencies and other organs of the United Nations should be represented during the consideration of the implementation of those provisions of the Convention that fall within their scope of work. Where it considers this appropriate, the Committee may invite the specialized agencies and other bodies to provide expert advice on how to implement the provisions of this Convention in areas relevant to them. The Committee may ask the specialized agencies and other bodies to submit reports on the implementation of the Convention in areas falling within their scope of activity.

2. In exercising its mandate, the Committee shall, where it considers this appropriate, consult other relevant bodies established by international human rights treaties, with a view to ensuring consistency in their respective reporting guidelines, suggestions and general comments and to avoiding overlap in their mandates and functions.

Article 39: Report of the Committee

Every two years, the Committee shall report on its activities to the General Assembly and to the Economic and Social Council. In its report, the Committee may also set out suggestions and general comments arising from its examination of the reports and information received from States Parties. These suggestions and comments shall be included in the Committee's report together with any comments that States Parties may have.

Article 40: Conference of States Parties

1. States Parties shall meet regularly in a Conference of States Parties in order to discuss matters relating to the implementation of the provisions of the Convention.

2. The first Conference of States Parties shall be convened by the Secretary-General of the United Nations within six months after the entry into force of the Convention. Subsequent meetings shall be convened by the Secretary-General of the United Nations every two years or upon the decision of the Conference of States Parties.

Article 41: Depositary

The Secretary-General of the United Nations shall act as the depositary of the Convention.

Article 42: Signature

This Convention shall be open for signature by all States and regional integration organizations at United Nations Headquarters in New York as of 30 March 2007.

Article 43: Consent to be Bound

This Convention shall be subject to ratification by signatory States and to formal confirmation by regional integration organizations. It shall be open for accession by any State or regional integration organization that has not signed the Convention.

Article 44: Regional Integration Organizations

1. “Regional integration organization” means an organization established by sovereign States of a given region to which those States have transferred competence in respect of matters governed by this Convention. Such organizations shall declare, in their instruments of ratification or accession, the extent of their competence in respect of matters falling within the scope of the Convention. They shall subsequently inform the depositary of any change in the extent of that competence.

2. References to “States Parties” in this Convention shall apply to such organizations within the limits of their competence.

3. For the purposes of paragraph 1 of Article 45 and paragraphs 2 and 3 of Article 47, instruments deposited by regional integration organizations shall not be counted.

4. Regional integration organizations may vote at the Conference of States Parties on matters within their competence. They shall have a number of votes equal to the number of their member States that are Parties to this Convention. Such an organization shall not exercise its right to vote if any of its member States Parties exercises its own right to vote, and the reverse also applies.

Article 45: Entry into Force

1. This Convention shall enter into force on the thirtieth day following the deposit of the twentieth instrument of ratification or accession.

2. For each State or regional integration organization that ratifies, formally confirms or accedes to the Convention after the deposit of the twentieth such instrument, the Convention shall enter into force on the thirtieth day following the deposit of its own instrument.

Article 46: Reservations

1. Reservations incompatible with the object and purpose of this Convention shall not be permitted.

2. Reservations that have been made may be withdrawn at any time.

Article 47: Amendments

1. Any State Party may propose an amendment to the Convention and submit it to the Secretary-General of the United Nations. The Secretary-General shall communicate the proposal to the States Parties and ask for their views on whether a conference should be convened to consider and decide on it. If, within four months of that communication, at least one third of the States Parties are in favour of convening the conference, the Secretary-General shall invite the States Parties to meet under the auspices of the United Nations. An amendment adopted by two thirds of the States Parties present and voting at the meeting shall be submitted by the Secretary-General to the General Assembly for approval and thereafter to all States Parties for acceptance.

2. An amendment adopted and approved in accordance with paragraph 1 shall enter into force on the thirtieth day after the number of instruments of acceptance deposited reaches two thirds of the number of States Parties at the date of adoption of the amendment. Thereafter, the amendment shall enter into force for any State Party on the thirtieth day following the deposit of its own instrument of acceptance. An amendment shall be binding only on those States Parties that have accepted it.

3. If the Conference of States Parties so decides by consensus, an amendment adopted and approved in accordance with paragraph 1 that relates exclusively to Articles 34, 38, 39 and 40 of the Convention shall enter into force for all States Parties on the thirtieth day after the number of instruments of acceptance deposited reaches two thirds of the number of States Parties at the date of adoption of the amendment.

Article 48: Denunciation

A State Party may withdraw from the Convention by written notification to the Secretary-General of the United Nations. The withdrawal shall take effect one year after the date on which the Secretary-General of the United Nations receives the notification.

Article 49: Accessible Format

The text of this Convention shall be made available in accessible formats.

Article 50: Authentic Texts

The Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish texts of this Convention shall be equally authentic.

The undersigned participants, fully authorized by the States they represent, have signed this Convention on behalf of those States.