8 Human rights

1948. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights. This was written at the end of the Second World War. It set out, on a global scale, fundamental human rights. The declaration includes such things as: all humans are born free and equal; everyone has a right to life, liberty, and security of person; everyone has a right to education; everyone has a right to freely participate in their community; everyone has a right to a family life.

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights inspired the 1950 European Convention on Human Rights. The European Convention on Human Rights set up the European Court of Human Rights, which meant that people in Europe can apply to the court if they believe their rights have been breached. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights was always intended to cover everyone, but it became clear that disabled people's rights were often ignored or violated. So in 2006, a new UN convention was drafted that set out the rights of disabled people.

The UN Convention on the Rights of Disabled Persons came into force in 2008. Since then, most countries around the world have signed up to it in some form. The convention doesn't give disabled people any new or different rights; it makes clear that disabled people are entitled to all the same rights and freedoms as everyone else. It says that people cannot be discriminated against because of disability. At the end of this session, you can find a link to an easy read version of the convention, which sets out all of these rights.

While the UN Convention on the Rights of Disabled Persons is a very powerful statement of rights, it is not a law. However, in the UK, there is a law that protects the rights of people with learning disabilities in the same way it protects the rights of everyone else. This is the Human Rights Act 1998. This act means that if someone's rights have been breached, they can seek justice in a British court. It also means that all public bodies, like courts, police, local authorities, hospitals, and publicly funded schools, must respect your rights. In addition, there is the 2010 Equality Act. This act ensures that people are protected from discrimination and unfair treatment. It promotes a more fair and equal society. The Equality Act covers all disabled people, including people with learning disabilities.