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Empower U: Learn to Access Your Disability Rights Training on Canadian Human Rights, the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) and its Optional Protocol (OP) training aims to increase awareness of how to address discrimination using more familiar Canadian human rights laws such as Human Rights Codes and the newer international Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD). This is training for persons with disabilities by persons with disabilities. The training is part of a project funded by Employment and Social Development Canada and implemented by the Council of Canadians with Disabilities (CCD) in collaboration with Canadian Multicultural Disability Centre Inc. (CMDCI), Citizens With Disabilities – Ontario (CWDO), Manitoba League of Persons with Disabilities (MLPD) and National Educational Association of Disabled Students (NEADS). Read more.
International
CCD's approach to international cooperation is based upon human rights and our disability rights principles of equality, consumer-control, self-representation, citizenship, and empowerment. Canadians with disabilities focus on the need to remove barriers to participation that individuals with disabilities face within their communities. CCD's International Development Committee provides leadership on international issues.
Canadian Foreign Minister Lawrence Cannon, far left, observes as U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, second from left, meets members of the Canadian delegation, including CCD's Steve Estey. (AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews)
Recent Work
December 16, 2020
Disability Rights Online
You should check out the Disability Rights Online website. This website connects visitors with self-paced online training on human rights, other resources and contact information for expert speakers on human rights. Read more.
November 6, 2020
Human Rights Training for People with Disabilities by People with Disabilities: Nothing about us without us!
The Project aims to raise awareness of Canadians with disabilities, particularly youth with disabilities and people from ethno-cultural communities, about available human rights remedies to discrimination and how to access those remedies. Read more.
December 21, 2018
Open Letter: Recognizing Two Important Human Rights Milestones of 2018
The Council of Canadians with Disabilities (CCD) celebrates Canada’s accession to the Optional Protocol. We recognize that accession reinforces the commitment that the Federal, Provincial and Territorial governments have made to ensuring that people with disabilities have full enjoyment of their human rights, as elaborated in the CRPD, which Canada ratified in 2010. CCD called upon Canada to accede to the Optional Protocol because the mechanism strengthens the human rights protections that are available to people with disabilities in the CRPD, and we congratulate you on this important advance. Read more.
More on International
May 23, 2017
Review of Canada's Accession to the United Nations Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
December 23, 2016
Canada to Ratify CRPD's Optional Protocol
June 22, 2015
Advocate for Change: Disability/Deaf Issues and the Federal Election
February 28, 2014
Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities: First Report of Canada
August 2, 2013
Vangelis Nikias: Welcome to My World
June 3, 2013
CASHRA 2013: Renewing the Vision
Canada signs the Declaration on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities at the United Nations. Members of the Canadian Delegation Steve Estey, Chair of CCD’s International Committee, and Dulcie McCallum observe Canada’s ambassador make this historic commitment.
HRSDC Minister Diane Finley, Defense Minister Peter MacKay, NDP Disability Critic Judy Wasylycia-Leis, Liberal MP Mike Savage, Liberal MP the Hon. Carolyn Bennett and Bloc MP Yves Lessard joined leaders from the disability community at a CCD celebration of Canada's ratification of the CRPD.
May 12, 2008
Canadians with Disabilities Celebrate the Coming into Force of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
As twenty countries have ratified the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), it now has the force of international law. Steve Estey, the Chairperson of CCD's International Development Committee joined other colleagues from the global disability rights movement at a UN ceremony to promote greater societal awareness of the CRPD, which provides guidance to countries on how to ensure people with disabilities experience full enjoyment of their human rights. Read more.