This video gives an overview of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
We have produced this video so that people who use Auslan can find out about rights of people who are Deaf or have a disability.
How can the Convention make life fairer for Deaf and disabled people?
Why the Convention is important? What are your human rights and how can they be protected?
How can you put the Convention into practice in your life?
How can the Convention be used to challenge injustice and improve services?
This is a guide to the full agreement.
You need to look at the full agreement itself if you want to know what exactly the agreement says, or what countries have signed up to.
In this video, I will explain what the United Nations is, what a UN Convention is, and briefly introduce the Convention.
In later videos, I will give you a more detailed look at your rights under the Convention and explain how the paper Convention works in real life.
Introduction: History
The United Nations is an international organisation founded in 1945 after the Second World War.
At the time, 51 countries committed to maintaining international peace and security, developing friendly relations among nations and promoting social progress, better living standards and human rights.
Introduction: What is the Convention?
The Convention is an agreement between different countries that identifies the rights of people with disability.
It is a list of rights developed by UN member states that outlines things that people with a disability should be able to expect.
Rights are things that should happen for everyone.
The Convention aims to reduce inequality and make life fairer for people with disability.
Developing the Convention was a long process, and involved a lot of negotiation, because many member states had different opinions about what should be included.
The United Nations General Assembly adopted the Convention in 2006 and it was opened for signature on 30 March 2007.
Australia ratified the Convention on 17 July 2008.
Countries who sign the agreement must make sure that people with disability get their rights.
‘Ratification’ is an act where a country agrees to become legally bound by the terms of a treaty.
Introduction: The aim of the Convention
The aim of the Convention is to make sure that people with a disability and Deaf people enjoy human rights, freedoms and respect like other people.
‘People with disability’ includes people who have long-term physical, mental, intellectual or sensory impairments.
Having a disability may hold a person back from doing things or sharing in society in the same way other people do.
This video is the Auslan version, so it mainly focuses on Deaf people and their rights, although it can be applied to other disabilities also.
This video was funded by the Australian Government. © DSS 2014
This video accompanying this text was endorsed by Deaf Australia Inc. Category 1: Auslan signs, Auslan grammar. Deaf Australia Inc website.