UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities

On 1 December 2022 Founder and Director of PSF Dr. Olesya Zaglada took part in the online UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRDP) Conference on UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRDP) organized by Manitoba Accessibility Office.

The UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) is the first international, legally binding instrument setting minimum standards for rights of people with disabilities.

In accordance with Article 2 of the Convention, its purpose is to promote, protect and ensure the full and equal enjoyment of all human rights and fundamental freedoms by all persons with disabilities, and to promote respect for their inherent dignity.

Persons with disabilities include those who have 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 main point of the conference was the significance of the Сonvention, which was lead by Mr. Steven Estey, who worked with Disabled Peoples’ Organizations, Human Rights Institutions, Governments, Intergovernmental Organizations and United Nations Agencies to advance disability rights for more than 30 years. Steven is a leading Canadian expert in matters related to the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

The Convention covers full range of human rights, economical, social and political rights. Steve pointed out that convention implements that rights real for disabled people and what is most important sets standards that countries need to meet and reporting system.

After the speech of Mr. Estey various speakers shared their personal stories related to particular Articles of Convention chosen be them to show on their own examples how the Convention can have a meaning for an Individual’s life. The panelists’ diverse experience includes living with visible and invisible disabilities, alongside their unique perspectives as women of settler, immigrant, Métis and Indigenous roots.

Speakers came to the conclusion that  Convention is the Magna Charta  of the Disability rights movement as they seen it unfold over the last years.

The Convention was written with not only Governments, but also people with disabilities in partnership from all over the world and that is why it has everything that people with disabilities were talking about enshrined in it.

For the PSF the most important Article of the Convention is Art. 30 (5), in accordance with which States Parties shall take appropriate measures with a view to enabling persons with disabilities to participate on an equal basis with others in recreational, leisure and sporting activities.