UK government signs UN Convention on disabled people’s rights

The government is today signing a new United Nations Convention on the rights of people with disabilities in a move welcomed by campaigners.

The convention, the first human rights treaty of this century, was approved last year after five years of negotiations. The UK government is one of the first to sign up.

The convention aims to promote respect for the dignity of all disabled people and safeguards for their human rights and fundamental freedoms.

The UK Inclusion Movement, a campaign group, said they hoped today would begin “a new era of inclusion” for disabled people.

Anne McGuire, Minister for Disabled People, who will sign the Convention on behalf of the UK at a ceremony held at the UN in New York today, said: “Prejudice against disabled people is unfortunately still far too prevalent and although we still have a long way to go in changing attitudes, this Convention at last puts disabled people’s human rights on an equal footing with everyone else’s.”