UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD)

CRPD is an international human rights treaty adopted in 2006. The UK agreed to follow it in 2009.

By following CRPD, the UK agrees to protect and promote the human rights of disabled people, including:

• eliminating disability discrimination

• enabling disabled people to live independently in the community

• ensuring an inclusive education system

• ensuring disabled people are protected from all forms of exploitation, violence and abuse

The UN last examined how well the UK is implementing the treaty and published its recommendations in August 2017. These included:

• recognising and enforcing the right of disabled people to live independently, be included in the community, and choose where they live and who they live with

• ensuring that social security policies protect the income of disabled people and their families, allowing for the extra costs that come with disability

• removing barriers to ensure that disabled people can access decent work and equal pay

• taking action to combat any negative or discriminatory stereotypes or prejudice against disabled people in public and the media

• ensuring disabled people have equal rights to justice by providing appropriate legal advice and support

• involving disabled people and disabled people’s organisations in planning and implementing all laws and policies affecting disabled people

• incorporating CRPD into domestic law to ensure that people can take legal action if their rights have been breached