Know Your Rights!

CRPD (has your country ratified it)/national/regional frameworks (how to find this)

Your rights are protected under many international documents called treaties. These treaties include the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), Convention on the Elimination of All forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) among others.

Your government may have ratified one or more of these treaties. You can find out reading "The Core International Human Rights Instruments and their monitoring bodies".

If your government has ratified a treaty, it means your government has a duty to make sure the people in your country have those rights.

There are also regional that your government may have ratified. For instance, African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child, among other regional treaties. To check whether your government has ratified any international or regional treaties, you can check your country’s Ministry of Social Protection/Social Affairs or the National Council for persons with disabilities.

Within your country, there are a number of national and local legislations. Some of these might talk about what your rights are as a person with a disability, either in a dedicated piece of legislation (for example it may be called the Disability Act however, the name may vary) or special provisions for persons with disabilities may be included in other legislation (for example in laws and policies on older people, women, education, employment, etc.) Check your government’s websites for more information or approach a local organization or network of persons with disabilities in your country.

Say your government has ratified the CRPD, CEDAW, CRC. Under these treaties, you have the right:

To be treated equally without discrimination based on your disability
To access the police and the court system to seek justice
To live independently and to be included in your community – including access to support services to help you live independently with the support you require
To be able to vote, express your opinion, and to be included in political processes.
To reasonable accommodation, meaning that services, such as shelters
Here is a link to a document about what you need to know about your rights!

Do your friends want to advocate for the rights of people with disabilities? Here's a resource they can use!