Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD)

Known as CRPD, the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities makes clear that disabled people have the same rights as non-disabled people but often face barriers to those rights in society.  The Convention sets out what should be done to break down the barriers that prevent disabled people from realising all of their human rights.

The UK has been a party to the Convention since 2009. This means that the Scottish Government has explicit duties to promote, protect and ensure the human rights of disabled people. Although the Convention does not form part of Scotland's domestic law directly, it can be used to help interpret the rights that are contained in the Human Rights Act 1998.

UKIM

Part of the Commissions' role as Scotland's National Human Rights Institution is to promote, protect and monitor the implementation of international human rights treaties.

Together with the Equality and Human Rights Commission, the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission and the Equality Commission of Northern Ireland, the Scottish Human Rights Commission has been designated as part of the UK's Independent Monitoring Mechanism for the Convention (UKIM).

UKIM is responsible for reporting to the UN on the state of disabled people's rights in the UK, and how well the CRPD is being applied.

The state of disabled people's rights in Scotland today

The most recent treaty monitoring cycle for CRPD concluded in August 2023.

UKIM's 2023 report is a follow-up review of its 2016 inquiry into disabled people’s rights to independent living, employment and standard of living in the UK. It highlights increasing poverty rates, affecting disabled people’s right to live independently at home, forcing some into hospital or residential care.

At this time, the Commission also published a supplementary report, commissioned from the Scottish Independent Living Coalition (SILC), which draws directly from disabled people’s lived experiences and demonstrates the urgent need for action.

Additionally, we wrote to the Economic, Human Rights and Civil Justice Committee and the  Minister for Equalities, Migration and Refugees to notify them of our findings upon submission. After the UN Committee published its final report in April 2024, we sent follow up correspondence, again highlighting our concerns, to

  • Economic, Human Rights and Civil Justice Committee
  • the Minister for Equalities, Migration and Refugees
  • Learning Disability Cross Party Group

Read the reports, letters, and all other Commission publications relating to disabled people's rights here.