Information
We organized the first kind of the State Deaf Workshop on UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) between 17th & 18th February, 2014 at Hotel Amsun Pride, Amrik Singh Road, Bathinda (Punjab) between 9:30 am to 5:00 pm. There were about 75 deaf delegates from all over Bathinda, Punjab attended the workshop for two days. Mr. Vishal Arora, Treasurer of NAD, and Mr. Ram Singh, Co-Worker of NAD shared the different PowerPoint Presentations about the Human Rights on Video, the human rights/laws, & UNCRPD.
It was necessary to have awareness on UNCRPD to help deaf people understand and know the laws and rights of the deaf. It helps to empower them to do themselves by their own decision in their lives in India.
A milestone for the advocacy of the rights of persons with disabilities is now steadily gaining worldwide acceptance and support. This is known as the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) refers to a document focusing on international human rights of people with disabilities. It was created by the United Nations and is being monitored by the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on December 13, 2006. The Convention was opened for signature on March 30, 2007. It then came into force on May 3, 2008, after the Convention's ratification by the 20th party. There are a total of 71 countries that have ratified the convention. Some of the countries that have ratified the Convention include Australia, Belgium, China, India, Saudi Arabia, Thailand, and United Kingdom and Northern Ireland. The UN.org website has a section where interested groups and individuals can read the latest developments regarding the convention.
The Convention intends to ensure equal rights to people with disabilities. This is done by elaborating in detail the rights of persons with disabilities and setting out a code of implementation.
Guiding Principles of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities:-
Eight principles form the base for the Convention and the articles included in it. Below are the guiding principles:
- Respect for inherent dignity, individual autonomy including the freedom to make one's own choices, and independence of persons
- Non-discrimination
- Full and effective participation and inclusion in society
- Respect for difference and acceptance of persons with disabilities as part of human diversity and humanity
- Equality of opportunity
- Accessibility
- Equality between men and women
- Respect for the evolving capacities of children with disabilities and respect for the right of children with disabilities to preserve their identities
India ratified UNCRPD on the 1st of October, 2007. India was the 7th country in the world and the first significant country to do so. The ratification of UNCRPD was a direct result of the advocacy by NCPEDP and Disabled Rights Group (DRG).
UNCRPD is an international instrument that provides persons with disabilities the same human rights that everyone else enjoys. It marks a radical shift in defining and understanding disability - it moves from a medical/social perspective to a human-rights based approach.
However, UNCRPD is just a paper if it is not implemented. Disabled people have to play an active role in the implementation and monitoring of UNCRPD.
For each change to make the lives of more than 18 million deaf Indians better, we need to understand this international treaty on which the new disability bill is based on.
650 million people, roughly 10 per cent of the world's population, live with a disability, according to the United Nations. In India alone, there are roughly 100 million people with disabilities, which is almost 1/6th of population of disabled people in the world.