The Will Rhodes Portmanteau

650 million people are now seen, in the eyes of the United Nations, equal to everybody else.

Adopted in 2006, and opened for signature in March last year it took effect on 3 May a month after the 20th nation ratified it - in this case Ecuador.

We have to thank Ecuador for that! And the other 19 nations that put their signatures to the treaty and, as is said in this story - it was fast for this kind of treaty to come into effect.

This is fast, officials say, reflecting the commitment of some nations to the treaty’s goals, as well as pressure from the disability lobby.

It is estimated that about 10% of the world’s population lives with some sort of disability - making disabled people the world’s largest minority.

Make you really think about who is discriminated against? It should!

The CRPD guarantees disabled people:

* The right to make their own decisions
* The right to say No to being placed in an institution
* The right to say No to medical or psychological treatment
* The right to live in the community
* The removal of barriers to participation in daily life
* Equal opportunities for all

This is at-a-glance:

UN disability treaty

Here is an at-a-glance guide to the draft United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities:

* Participating countries to change laws and ban discriminatory customs and practices

* Disabled people to have an equal right to life

* Equal rights for disabled women and girls

* Protection for children with disabilities

* A right to own and inherit property, to control financial affairs and have equal access to financial services

* Disabled people not to be deprived of their liberty “unlawfully or arbitrarily”

* Medical or scientific experiments without consent to be banned

* An end to enforced institutionalisation

* Freedom from exploitation, violence and abuse

* A right to privacy and access to medical records

* Countries to remove barriers to accessing the environment, transport, public facilities and communication

* A right to independent living

* Essential equipment to be made affordable

* A right to an adequate standard of living and social protection

* An end to discrimination relating to marriage, family and personal relationships

* Equal access to education

* An end to discrimination in the job market

* A right to equal participation in public life

* A right to participate in cultural life

* Developing countries to be assisted to put the convention into practice

The USA and the UK did not ratify this treaty.