Nearly two decades ago on December 13, 2006, in New York, the United Nations adopted the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) a landmark treaty that reshaped the global understanding of disability and human rights. Although its approval took place on a 13th of December, the International Day of Persons with Disabilities is observed on December 3rd each year. This date serves to raise awareness of the rights, well-being, and social inclusion of persons with disabilities across the world.
The purpose of the Convention was expressed with clarity and ambition: “to promote, protect and ensure the full and equal enjoyment of all human rights and fundamental freedoms by all persons with disabilities, and to promote respect for their inherent dignity” (BOE (96/2008, p. 20649). The CRPD also underscores that persons with disabilities include individuals with long-term physical, mental, intellectual, or sensory impairments who, when interacting with various barriers, may be hindered from fully and effectively participating in society on an equal basis with others.
Beyond the legal definition, the CRPD represents a profound shift in perspective. It moves the world away from a charity-based or medical model where disability was often viewed as an individual problema and toward a rights-based model that identifies the real obstacles: social, physical, and attitudinal barriers. In this paradigm, disability is not seen as a limitation inherent to the person but as the result of environments and structures that fail to include everyone. What makes the Convention transformative is its call to action. Countries that ratify it commit themselves to eliminating discriminatory laws, adapting public policies, promoting universal design, ensuring accessibility, and raising social awareness so that inclusion becomes the norm rather than the exception.
These measures recognize that full participation does not depend on changing individuals, but on changing systems. To make this information more accesible it has been translated into at least 28 spoken languages, including the six official UN languages (English, French, Spanish, Arabic, Russian, and Chinese) and more than 20 additional national languages. It is also available in multiple sign languages, including International Sign, American Sign Language, Australian Sign Language, and others. Additionally, easy-read versions and training guides were also produced in several languages to support broader accessibility and understanding.
Nearly two decades after its adoption, the CRPD continues to shape educational practices, public policy, and community life. It challenges societies to rethink how they value diversity and how they remove barriers so that every person, regardless of disability, can exercise their rights with dignity and equality. Today, on December 13, we revisit its origins not only to remember a key milestone, but also to renew our commitment to build inclusive environments for all.
Assistant Lecturer at the University of the Basque Country