Promoting Rights and Inclusion Through the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD)
The Disabled Development Society (DDS) strongly aligns its mission and programs with the principles of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD). As an organization led by persons with disabilities, DDS upholds the CRPD as a powerful international instrument to protect the rights, dignity, and full participation of disabled individuals in every aspect of society.
The DDS CRPD Program is a dedicated initiative aimed at promoting awareness, advocacy, and implementation of the CRPD across its working areas. This program ensures that people with disabilities, their families, local communities, and decision-makers are informed and empowered to enforce the rights guaranteed under the Convention.
Key Objectives
- Increase awareness of the CRPD among persons with disabilities and the broader public.
- Promote the inclusion of CRPD principles in local government planning and service delivery.
- Monitor and advocate for the enforcement of CRPD articles at the grassroots level.
- Train disabled leaders and local stakeholders on rights-based approaches to disability.
Core Activities
- Awareness Campaigns: Organizing community meetings, school programs, and mass media activities to educate citizens about the rights of persons with disabilities.
- Training Workshops: Providing capacity-building sessions for local leaders, caregivers, service providers, and disabled individuals on CRPD articles and their practical application.
- Policy Advocacy: Engaging with local government officials to integrate disability rights into development plans, health services, education, and disaster response.
- Legal Literacy: Educating persons with disabilities on how to use legal tools and institutions to claim and protect their rights.
- Monitoring and Reporting: Collecting community-level data and reporting cases of rights violations or service gaps to relevant authorities.
Impact
Through the CRPD Program, DDS has strengthened the voices of disabled individuals, enabling them to speak up for their rights and access public services with greater dignity. The initiative has contributed to the reduction of discrimination and increased acceptance of disability rights in both urban and rural communities.
DDS intends to expand the CRPD Program by creating local disability rights monitoring groups, engaging in national-level advocacy, and developing easy-to-understand materials on the CRPD in Bangla and Braille formats.
