Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities: Shining a light on Social Transformation
Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities: Shining a light on Social Transformation, was commissioned by the Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability to describe the international human rights context in which the Royal Commission operates.
The report investigated the early rights movement of people with disability from the 1960s and 1970s through to the present day, which “exposed the power relations inherent to the medical model of disability, and which is commonly referred to as ‘ableism’”.
Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities: Shining a Light on Social Transformation (Auslan)
Video transcript
Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities: Shining a Light on Social Transformation
Disability community leaders Rosemary Kayess and Therese Sands have written a research report for the Disability Royal Commission.
It describes the international human rights context for people with disability in Australia.
Rosemary is a member of the UN Committee for the Rights of People with Disability. She is also an academic with the University of NSW Social Policy Research Centre.
Therese is the former Co-CEO of People with Disability Australia. She understands disability rights as well as policy and legislative reform for people with disability.
Their research found that Australia’s interpretation of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities was allowing human rights violations.
These include forced medical interventions, and arbitrary and indefinite detention.
This shows Australia has not made enough progress in achieving rights for people with disability.
Their report is called ‘Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities: Shining a Light on Social Transformation’.
It describes the international human rights context in Australia.
It investigates the early rights movement of people with disability from the 1960s and 1970s to now.
It exposes power relations inherent in the medical model of disability, also known as ableism.
The medical model of disability sees disability as an individual deficit that needs to be treated and cured.
The term ableism is used to describe discrimination in favour of able-bodied people.
Ableism is still entrenched in law and policy, and segregates people with disability from the rest of the population.
Evidence shows that segregated and parallel systems enable violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation.
This report outlines the historical context of human rights.
It will help inform ideas and recommendations for change.
The CRPD is the roadmap for social transformation. It recognises that impairment is valued as part of human diversity and dignity.
This leads to a new motto in the disability sector, ‘nothing without us’.
This ensures people with disability remain critical to all aspects of life.
To read the full report, and for more information, visit our website and go to the Publications section.