News Releases
Historical treaty on disability rights
By Barbados Council for the disabled
Apr 24, 2008, 9:01

A historical milestone was recently achieved for persons with disabilities! 

The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) entered another phase of human rights security when it was adopted on December 13, 2006 by the United Nations.  The CRPD touches the lives of over 10% of the world’s population and countless others whose lives are in anyway impacted on by disabilities.

On March 30, 2007 the Convention was open to signatories and Jamaica became the first country in our region not only to sign but to ratify both the convention and its optional protocol.  Barbados signed the Convention towards the end of July, but is yet to sign the optional protocol or ratify the CRPD.

The Optional Protocol relates to how individuals or groups can seek redress for violations of the CRPD once national remedies are exhausted. To date, 126 countries have signed the Convention, 71 have signed the Optional Protocol, 20 states have ratified the treaty and 13 states have ratified the Protocol.”

In almost record breaking time, the convention reached the requisite number of ratifications to bring it to global effect.  With the ratification of Ecuador on April 3, 2008, the convention will enter into force in 30 days on May 3.

A worldwide feeling of great triumph touched all persons organisation Secretary General of the UN Ban Ki-Moon hails it as a “historic moment in our quest for realisation of the universal human rights for ALL persons, creating a fully inclusive society for all”.

Rehab International has also emphasised that the CRPD is the first human rights treaty of the 21st century.  A treaty which they stress “prohibits discrimination against persons with disabilities in all areas of life, and includes specific provisions related to rehabilitation, education, employment, health and access to information, public facilities and services".

What does this mean?

It means that the disabled of the world will at last have a set of regulations that will govern their multifaceted needs and to accord them the basic human dignities which are so often taken from them.  It means that there will be an international body to which persons with disabilities can appeal in the event of their rights being violated.  It means that countries will no longer be able to forget their responsibilities towards all sectors of their society and to merely provide the bear minimum of assistance.

How does this ratification affect Barbados?

In the short-term, the ratification encourages our law makers to recognise that the six-year-old White Paper on Disability needs to be dusted off and addressed as a matter of urgency to be entered into law to add legal teeth to the fight for equality for persons with disabilities. 

However, we need to go further.  We need to ensure that by the time we have ratified the Convention, that we also address the fundamental need for sensitisation of the general public to the abilities and rights of persons with disabilities.  Just as there was an extensive campaign to heighten awareness on the rights of the child, a similar programme needs to be undertaken to spread the news about the rights of the disabled and what it means to every citizen. 

It is important that we recognise our responsibility to the vulnerable sectors of our community.  But recognition is not enough, we must also ensure that the disabled are accorded their basic rights with dignity and respect.