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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.
Canada and the CRPD Archives
Canada and the CRPD
December 3, 2023
Opinion: It's time we made room for people with disabilities
The world pays attention on the International Day of Persons with Disabilities. But what about the rest of the year? Read more.
December 3, 2023
International Day of Persons with Disabilities 2023
We join with everyone around the globe in recognizing International Day of Persons with Disabilities 2023. Read more.
June 6, 2023
UN Conference of State Parties: Connecting Disability Organizations
The 16th session of the Conference of States Parties to the CRPD (COSP16) will take place at the United Nations Headquarters, in New York, from 13 to 15 June 2023. Read more.
June 13, 2022
Canadian Civil Society Supports Dr. Laverne Jacobs for the UN Committee on the Rights of People with Disabilities
Dr. Laverne Jacobs is Canada’s first-ever nominated candidate to the UN CRPD Committee. This demonstrates unparalleled commitment and confidence in her nomination by the Government of Canada and highlights the recognition of Dr. Jacob’s intersectional approach and life-long vision to the realization and expansion of international disability rights for all. A law professor at the University of Windsor, Dr. Jacobs has and continues to work to see the evolution of law incorporate the full realization of disability rights. Her work as lead author of the first Canadian disability law textbook ushered in a new, vibrant generation of disability rights scholars. Dr. Jacobs' disability and anti-racism advocacy work advances an intersectional approach to legislation and policymaking, and her work directly led to the creation of the Accessible Canada Act - a landmark federal legislation promising barrier-free access by 2040. These are but a few of her accomplishments. Read more.
June 22, 2021
CCD Applauds Dr. Laverne Jacobs' Candidacy for UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
The Council of Canadians with Disabilities (CCD), a national human rights organization of people with disabilities working for an accessible and inclusive Canada, applauds the Government of Canada’s naming Dr. Laverne Jacobs as a candidate for the 2022 election of members for the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Read more.
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.
May 23, 2017
Review of Canada's Accession to the United Nations Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
In light of the importance that the CCD attaches to the OP we have taken the time to consult with a number of international law experts on the matter along with our own membership, and what follows is a synthesis of their views and our own, in a process that very much mirror’s the drafting of the treaty all those years ago. Read more.
December 23, 2016
Canada to Ratify CRPD's Optional Protocol
Minister Qualtrough and Minister Dion announced that Canada would ratify the CRPD’s Optional Protocol in 2017. Read more.
June 22, 2015
Advocate for Change: Disability/Deaf Issues and the Federal Election
I want to share some thoughts about political participation, to mention some key provisions of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), as well as relevant recommendations developed by the Community University Research Alliance (CURA), a project led by CCD. Read more.
February 28, 2014
Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities: First Report of Canada
Canada has submitted its first report on the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (Convention) to the United Nations Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Read more.
August 2, 2013
Vangelis Nikias: Welcome to My World
Vangelis Nikias discusses the value of the CRPD. Read more.
June 3, 2013
CASHRA 2013: Renewing the Vision
It is very pertinent that we have the opportunity to share our views in relation to certain critical aspects of CRPD in the 2013 Conference of the Canadian Association of Statutory Human Rights Agencies in Halifax. Canadians with disabilities have endeavoured for many years to speak for ourselves, to improve our living conditions, to participate fully in all aspects of society. We have increasingly done so as human rights holders, moving away from being cast in the role of charity cases. In this effort, we have actively worked to strengthen the human rights movement. We view, therefore, CASHRA as an indispensable ally. Read more.
May 8, 2013
Vangelis Nikias Discusses Disability Rights and The Conversation Between International Law and Domestic Law
March 27, 2013
How Can a Civil Society Shadow Report Improve Accountability?
On Thursday 14 February 2013, at the Munk School of Global Affairs, Steve Estey, Chair of CCD’s International Committee, participated in a panel presentation along with David Shannon (Nova Scotia Human Rights Commission) and Penny Hartin (World Blind Union). Steve reviewed CCD’s recommendations to the Government of Canada regarding the CRPD. Read more.
March 22, 2013
CCD Panel Presentation at University of Ottawa Human Rights Centre
Without self-representative groups of persons with disabilities, our experience and our needs cannot be adequately and legitimately described, appropriate solutions cannot be developed, and difficult challenges cannot be taken up. Read more.
January 10, 2013
Radio Interview about the CRPD
Vangelis Nikias discusses the CRPD on internet radio show, Dialogues with Dan. Read more.
November 27, 2012
CRPD - 10 Facts Canadians Should Know
Did you know that Canadians with disabilities and CCD played key roles in the development of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities? Read more.
November 5, 2012
Renewed Political Commitment and Leadership: An Imperative for the Realization of the Human Rights of Canadians with Disabilities
The Council of Canadians with Disabilities (CCD), a representative, democratic voice of Canadians with disabilities is pleased to provide a submission to the Human Rights Council of the United Nations in relation to its May 2013 Universal Periodic Review of Canada’s human rights record. Read more.
June 6, 2012
Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities: Overview and Next Steps for an Accessible and Inclusive Society
CRPD contains strong human rights principles and practical measures intended to give effect to these principles. The question is: where do we go from here? Raising awareness in the disability community and more broadly is, in CCD’s view, a key to further success. Awareness will help us in claiming our rights both in the policy-making and legal contexts. We also hope that legal advocates and the Canadian judiciary will utilize CRPD in their work, in advancing arguments and making decisions. Read more.
July 4, 2011
Community Expectations: Compliance and Progressive Realization
One of the features which make Canada a great country is our human rights tradition and current framework. Read more.
June 9, 2011
Monitoring of the CRPD
In the Government of Canada’s Explanatory Memorandum on the CRPD they do not specifically name the Canadian Human Rights Commission as the CRPD monitoring body. They did state that the monitoring body would meet the Paris Principles. Read more.
March 29, 2011
Timeline of Major Milestones in International Disability Policy
A chronology of actions at the UN on disability issues. Read more.
March 29, 2011
Disability Community Priorities and Expectations
In the words of the CRPD we expect progressive realization of our rights. And this must be a broadly shared goal because we are all in this together. According to the International Labor Organization, the annual loss of global GDP due to our exclusion of persons from the labor market is between US$1.37 trillion and US$1.94 trillion. Read more.
March 29, 2011
The Road to the UN Convention
In this presentation I will focus on the events that led up to the ratification of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD). I was involved, with other representatives of the worldwide disability community, in the drafting of the treaty from 2002 to 2006, over the course of nine or ten meetings at the U.N. in New York and at regional meetings around the world. “Nothing about us without us” is our prevailing motto. Read more.
March 16, 2011
P/T Ministers Consider Human Rights in the Context of Disability
Winnipeg 15 March 2011—Canada’s provincial and territorial ministers responsible for disability issues and human rights spent the last two days considering what human rights mean in the context of life with a disability. In February, the disability community developed a Call to Action, endorsed by over 100 organizations, which outlines steps for implementing the CRPD in Canada and this document was shared with the Ministers. Ongoing engagement with the disability community is central to the community’s vision of an effective implementation strategy Read more.
March 14, 2011
Speaking Notes for International Women's Day
Happy International Women's Day (IWD) everyone!! Thank you for the opportunity to share with you some of my personal reflections on the recognition of the rights of women with disabilities. I think it is remarkable that on this auspicious occasion of the hundredth anniversary of IWD, we are recognizing the achievements of women with disabilities. Not all that long ago, women with disabilities were invisible within the general society as well as among those promoting the rights of persons with disabilities, and those promoting gender equality. But today, here we are at the Manitoba legislature celebrating women with disabilities. I heartily commend Minister Howard for making this historical event happen.
March 14, 2011
A Call to Action: UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
The Council of Canadians with Disabilities (CCD) and the Canadian Association for Community Living (CACL), through consultation and dialogue with the disability community and civil society, are joined by over 130 organizations, thus far, in calling for the Government of Canada, Canada’s parliament, provincial and territorial governments, and legislative bodies to work with persons with disabilities, disability organizations, and all other Canadians on the full implementation of the CRPD, to take all appropriate actions to remove barriers experienced by Canadians with disabilities in their effort to participate in all aspects of society. Read more.
March 14, 2011
Implementing the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
March 11, 2011 marks the first anniversary of Canada’s ratification of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), which reaffirms that persons with disabilities enjoy the protection of all human rights. Following community consultations, the Council of Canadians with Disabilities (CCD) and the Canadian Association for Community Living (CACL) have developed a Call to Action, “UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities: Making Domestic Implementation Real and Meaningful”, which has the support of more than 100 disability community organizations. Read more.
February 4, 2011
UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities: Making Domestic Implementation Real and Meaningful
The following working paper has been developed by the Council of Canadians with Disabilities (CCD) and the Canadian Association for Community Living (CACL). It is intended to spark dialogue on implementation of the CRPD and propose concrete actions for consideration. This paper provides:
• A brief background on the CRPD and the role the Government of Canada and the Canadian disability community played in elaborating the CRPD.
The paper identifies the need for:
• National mechanisms for implementation, monitoring and reporting.
• A robust participation strategy.
• A national framework for implementation.
• A public and transparent review process.
The paper concludes with suggested next steps – including a specific call to action for the Government of Canada and Parliamentarians.
Read more.
February 4, 2011
Do you want Parliamentarians and the Government of Canada to Take Action on Implementing the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons With Disability?
The Council of Canadians with Disabilities (CCD) and the Canadian Association for Community Living (CACL) are inviting disability organizations across Canada to voice a call to Parliamentarians and the Government of Canada to take leadership on implementing the UN Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities (CRPD). Read more.
January 25, 2011
Why the CRPD Is Important
Steve Estey and Marie White discuss the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Read more.
March 11, 2010
Canada Ratifies United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
Joy and celebration are the two primary emotions felt today by many Canadians with disabilities as the Government of Canada ratifies the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) at the United Nations. Canada today pledged to be governed by the CRPD, the newest international human rights treaty which boldly articulates a human rights framework for addressing the exclusion and lack of access people with disabilities have encountered in Canada and in all societies. Read more.
March 3, 2010
MPs Back to Work to Tackle Unfinished Business
The Council of Canadians with Disabilities (CCD) is pleased that Members of Parliament are back to work. Now the Government of Canada can make good on a commitment made on 3 December 2009: Ratification of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD). Read more.
December 3, 2009
Government of Canada Tables in the House The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Canadians with Disabilities Celebrate This Milestone Event
Today, Minister Peter MacKay, on behalf of the Government of Canada, tabled in the House the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD). This is the final step in the process of Ratification of the Convention, one that has been eagerly awaited by Canadians with disabilities. Read more.
September 15, 2009
Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
March 30, 2009
Pressure Mounting for Ratification of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD)
Today marks the second anniversary of Canada?s participation in the signing ceremony for the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, which took place at the United Nations. By signing, the Federal government signaled its intent to ratify the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities by following typical Canadian procedures, with an emphasis on Federal, Provincial, Territorial discussions that take place behind closed doors. However today, two years after the fact, with 50 other countries having ratified the CRPD, Canada is beginning to feel pressure to fast-track ratification. With so many countries having stepped forward to ratify the CRPD, Canada needs to evaluate the pace at which things are proceeding. Read more.
December 9, 2005
Panel Presentation by Alex Neve, Secretary General of Amnesty International (Canada)
December 9, 2005
Panel Presentation by Andrew Begg, First Secretary Mission of New Zealand to UNHQ in New York City
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 Steven Estey, center, with the Council of Canadians with Disabilities; Traci Walters, second from right, with Independent Living Canada; and the Canadian Association for Community Living President Bendina Miller, far right, at the United Nations in New York, Thursday March 11, 2010. Canada ratified the U.N. Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, a historic first international treaty that comprehensively recognizes the rights of persons with disabilities. (AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews)