Civil Rights Laws
In This Section:
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights
Declaration on the Rights of Disabled Persons
UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD)
Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union
The African Charter on Human and People’s Rights
The Inter-American Convention
The Equality Act 2010
EU Employment Equality Directive
Ontarians with Disabilities Act (2001)
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
The Marrakesh Treaty
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights
In the aftermath of World War II, the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) on December 10, 1948, in Paris. It was the first international document to establish universal fundamental human rights, and it remains the foundation of international human rights law. Countless treaties, constitutions, and accessibility laws have since built on the rights it established.
Eleanor Roosevelt holding the French version of the Declaration of Human Rights
The Declaration was drafted by the Commission on Human Rights, formed in 1946 and chaired by Eleanor Roosevelt. Its 18 members came from diverse cultural, political, and national backgrounds from around the world. The document includes a preamble explaining its purpose and 30 articles covering a broad range of rights, from life, liberty, and equality to spiritual, political, social, cultural, and economic freedoms. Together they form the first comprehensive picture of what the international community agreed every person in the world deserves. All 192 UN member states have agreed to abide by it, and it holds a Guinness World Record as the most translated document in the world, with over 500 translations to date.
Declaration on the Rights of Disabled Persons
In 1975, the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Declaration on the Rights of Disabled Persons. Because it was a declaration rather than a binding convention, it could only offer a framework and recommendations rather than enforceable obligations. Even so, it was a meaningful step forward. It affirmed that people with disabilities hold the same civil and political rights as everyone else, called for protection against exploitation, discrimination, abuse, and degrading treatment, and recognized the need to support people with disabilities in developing their abilities across diverse fields. The declaration also acknowledged that some countries, given their circumstances at the time, could only work toward these goals in a limited capacity.
View of the empty United Nations General Assembly hall from its main aisle
UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD)
Adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on December 13, 2006, the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) was the first binding international human rights treaty specifically addressing the rights of people with disabilities. Where earlier instruments offered frameworks and recommendations, the CRPD created enforceable obligations. Countries that ratify it must take concrete steps to implement its protections, not simply acknowledge them.
Meeting at the United Nations regarding the CRPD. Attendees sit in rows of desks, facing forward. One participant is sitting in a wheelchair.
Meeting at the United Nations regarding the CRPD
The CRPD reflects a fundamental shift in how disability is understood, moving away from a charity or medical model and toward a human rights model. People with disabilities are recognized not as objects of care or treatment, but as subjects with rights, capable of making decisions about their own lives and participating fully in society.
The treaty was opened for signature on March 30, 2007, and entered into force on May 3, 2008. Over 160 countries signed it on opening day alone, the highest number of signatories in history for a UN convention. More than 180 countries have since ratified it, and the European Union ratified it as a bloc in addition to individual member states doing so separately. The CRPD serves as the foundation and reference point for national disability rights laws in the countries that have adopted it.
The Optional Protocol was adopted alongside the CRPD on December 13, 2006, and entered into force on the same date, May 3, 2008. It gives the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities the authority to monitor implementation and receive complaints from individuals whose rights have been violated.
One notable absence: the United States signed the CRPD in 2009 but has not ratified it, as the required two-thirds Senate majority was not reached in 2012.
Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union
The EU Charter of Fundamental Rights brings together the civil, political, economic, and social rights of everyone living in the European Union. It was proclaimed in 2000 and became legally binding when the Treaty of Lisbon entered into force in December 2009. Its purpose was to consolidate and clarify rights that had developed separately across EU member states over time.
The Charter draws from several sources, including the European Convention on Human Rights, the constitutional traditions of EU member states, the Council of Europe’s Social Charter, the Community Charter of Fundamental Social Rights of Workers, and other international conventions to which the EU or its members are party.
Two articles are particularly relevant to disability:
Article 21 (Non-discrimination) prohibits discrimination on any ground, including disability, sex, race, religion, age, and sexual orientation, among others.
Article 26 (Integration of persons with disabilities) recognizes the right of people with disabilities to benefit from measures that support their independence, social and occupational integration, and participation in community life.
The Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, which comprises a very thick book, shown here open towards the middle
The Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union
Preceding Treaties
Two earlier Council of Europe treaties laid important groundwork. The European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), signed in 1950, grants fundamental civil and political rights to all. People with disabilities are not explicitly named but are covered under the broader “other status” category. The European Social Charter (ESC), adopted in 1961, guarantees fundamental social and economic rights and specifically addresses the right of people with disabilities to independence, social integration, and participation in community life.
The African Charter on Human and People’s Rights
Adopted in 1981, the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights recognizes the rights of all people. While it does not explicitly mention disability, its provisions have been used to challenge discrimination against people with disabilities and to advocate for equal protection.
In 2018, the African Union adopted the African Disability Rights Protocol (ADRP) as an addition to the Charter. It builds on the CRPD by adding more specific protections, including provisions related to armed conflicts and forced displacement, and stronger language around harmful practices. Article 11(1) of the ADRP specifically calls on states to take measures against harmful practices targeting people with disabilities, including legal sanctions and educational and advocacy campaigns.
The ADRP reached its required 15 ratifications and entered into force in June 2024, though as of early 2026 only 15 of the 55 African Union member states have ratified it. Advocacy efforts continue to push for wider ratification and implementation across the continent.
Flag of the African Union
The Inter-American Convention
Adopted in 1999, The Inter-American Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Persons with Disabilities was the first regional binding treaty to expressly prohibit discrimination against people with disabilities. Its core objective, as stated in Article II, is to prevent and eliminate all forms of discrimination against people with disabilities and to promote their full integration into society.
Article III outlines how member states are expected to achieve this, through legislative, social, educational, and labor-related measures. These include making goods, services, and facilities accessible across areas such as employment, transportation, housing, education, and recreation; ensuring new buildings and vehicles are built with accessibility in mind; removing existing architectural and communication barriers where possible; and training those responsible for implementing the Convention.
Member states also committed to prioritizing prevention of disabilities where possible, early intervention and rehabilitation services, and public awareness campaigns aimed at reducing prejudice and promoting equal participation.
Representatives from the Government of Saint Lucia and the Organization of American States shake hands during the signing of the Inter-American Convention
Saint Lucia signs the Inter-American Convention
The Equality Act 2010
Passed in the United Kingdom in 2010, the Equality Act brought together and strengthened existing anti-discrimination laws across the workplace and wider society. It prohibits discrimination based on nine protected characteristics, with disability explicitly listed among them.
The Act protects against both direct and indirect discrimination. Direct discrimination is when someone is treated worse because of their disability. Indirect discrimination is when a policy that applies to everyone puts people with disabilities at a particular disadvantage.
Beyond these general protections, the Act includes specific provisions around accessible transport, accessibility for students with disabilities, and restrictions on when employers can ask job applicants about disability or health.
The nine protected characteristics under Section 4 are: age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, and sexual orientation.
United Kingdom coat of arms
EU Employment Equality Directive
Adopted in 2000, this directive prohibits discrimination based on disability in employment and occupation across all EU member states, and requires employers to provide reasonable accommodations. All member states have transposed it into national law.
A broader Anti-Discrimination Directive was proposed in 2008 that would have extended these protections beyond the workplace, but it has not been adopted. As a result, anti-discrimination protections outside of employment vary considerably from country to country across the EU.
The European Union emblem
Ontarians with Disabilities Act (2001)
Enacted in Ontario, Canada, the Ontarians with Disabilities Act ensures the right of people with disabilities to equal opportunities and freedom from discrimination. Its preamble captures the spirit of the law well: people of all ages with disabilities have the right to equal opportunity and full participation in the life of the province.
The Act recognizes that people with disabilities face real barriers to participating in mainstream Ontario society, and that as the population ages, the number of people living with disabilities will continue to grow. It places responsibility for removing those barriers on every sector of society, from government and organizations to individual citizens, with a commitment to ensuring that no new barriers are created going forward.
The flag of Ontario
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
The ADA is a landmark United States civil rights law that prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities across a broad range of areas, including employment, transportation, architectural design, and any place of public accommodation. It applies to private businesses and organizations open to the public (with the exception of religious entities and private clubs), as well as federal and state government entities.
The ADA is enforced by the US Department of Justice Civil Rights Division. For educational institutions, enforcement falls to the US Department of Education Office for Civil Rights, through consent decrees and settlements.
While the original ADA did not explicitly address web accessibility, a 2024 update to Title II now requires state and local government websites and mobile apps to meet WCAG 2.1 Level AA standards, with compliance deadlines falling between April 2026 and April 2027. Web accessibility lawsuits in the US frequently invoke the ADA, particularly Title III’s language around public accommodation.
President George H. W. Bush signs the ADA
The Marrakesh Treaty
Adopted on June 27, 2013, the full name of this treaty is the Marrakesh Treaty to Facilitate Access to Published Works for Persons who are Blind, Visually Impaired, or Otherwise Print Disabled. It is administered by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) as part of the body of international copyright treaties.
The treaty’s core purpose is practical: it addresses what WIPO describes as a “book famine” faced by people with print disabilities, who historically had access to only a small fraction of published materials in accessible formats. Its main goal is to create mandatory limitations and exceptions to copyright law for the benefit of people who are blind, visually impaired, or otherwise print disabled.
In practical terms, the treaty creates a copyright exception. People with print disabilities and their organizations no longer need to seek permission from copyright holders to create accessible format versions of published works. The treaty also allows those accessible format versions to be imported and exported across borders, which significantly expands access internationally.
Members of the WIPO Secretariat celebrate the adoption of the Marrakesh Treaty in 2013. Photo: Avant Scène / Hicham Rachidi / WIPO.