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Human Rights

Advancing human rights and sign language worldwide.

Human rights are universal, indivisible and interconnected. They belong to all people, regardless of gender, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, language, or any other status such as disability or deafness. Unfortunately, due to societal prejudices and incorrect assumptions, deaf people’s rights are often overlooked or denied – especially in Global South countries. The WFD works towards promoting and advancing the human rights of deaf people, from an intersectional perspective, particularly in line with several international legal instruments as follows:

  1. United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities: 

Adopted in 2006, the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) provides an international benchmark and framework to improve the human rights of people with disabilities globally. The CRPD was developed by civil society and member countries of the United Nations to ensure that persons with disabilities enjoy the same rights as other people. The WFD was among one of the eight largest organisations of persons with disabilities invited to participate in the process of drafting the CRPD. In the beginning of 2002, the WFD forged a partnership with the United Nations (UN), the International Disability Alliance and the WFD’s Country Members to lobby for the rights of deaf people within the CRPD. The WFD was instrumental in providing comments, proposals and amendments to the articles of the CRPD. Notably, the participation of the WFD has been imperative in furthering the promotion of sign language, and inclusive quality education in sign language. The CRPD has 50 articles altogether, which apply to and protect the rights of deaf people, and five articles of the CRPD directly concerning deaf persons namely:

  • Article 2 – Definition
  • Article 9 – Accessibility
  • Article 21 – Freedom of expression, opinion, and access to information
  • Article 24 – Education
  • Article 30 – Participation in cultural life, recreation leisure and sport

Our philosophy and approach are based on and driven by the CRPD. Since the CRPD came into force in 2008, the WFD has continued to actively advocate and promote deaf issues and perspectives in the various forums of the UN.

  1. 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. 

In addition to the CRPD, an important aspect of our work is the United Nations’ 2030 Agenda, adopted in 2015. The 2030 Agenda aims to reduce poverty, reduce inequality, and save the planet from ecological degradation and climate change. The WFD remains involved in the development and implementation of the 2030 Agenda and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). As a result of the work done by the WFD and other organisations of persons with disabilities and global partners, the 2030 Agenda contains 11 direct references to people with disabilities, including deaf people. We also advise and provide training to our members so that they, too, are involved in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs. To achieve true sustainable development, we cannot leave anyone behind.

  1. Advocacy work of the WFD at the United Nations (UN): 

The WFD has a consultative status at the UN and is part of the civil society organisations’ registers of several UN bodies and agencies (WHO, UNESCO, ILO, etc). Its work consists of actively following up the new UN policies’ development and implementation (including the United Nations Disability Inclusion Strategy), the work of the UN treaty bodies (including the CRPD Committee), the relevant events hosted by the UN (such as the Conference of States Parties to the CRPD and the UN Forum on Minority Issues), among others. The WFD participates in the UN events through interventions of its representatives as well as in policy development through submissions to the UN bodies and experts (i.e. UN Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and UN Special Rapporteur on Minorities Issues).

Human Rights Instruments:

Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR)

  • Article 1: All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights.
  • Article 2: Everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration, without distinction of any kind.

Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD)

  • Article 2: Defines “language” to include spoken and signed languages.
  • Article 9: Ensures accessibility, including access to information and communication technologies.
  • Article 21: Recognizes the right to freedom of expression and opinion, including the freedom to seek, receive, and impart information through all forms of communication, including sign languages. Calling for the legal recognition of national sign languages.
  • Article 24: Guarantees the right to education for persons with disabilities, including the use of sign languages in educational settings.
  • Article 30: Persons with disabilities are entitled to recognition and support of their specific cultural and linguistic identity, including sign languages and deaf culture.

Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC)

  • Article 23: Rights of children with disabilities, ensuring they enjoy a full and decent life in conditions that ensure dignity, promote self-reliance, and facilitate active participation in the community.
  • Article 28: Right to education, ensuring access to education for all children.

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Goals (SDG)

  • Goal 4: Quality Education:
    • Target 4.5: To ensure equal access to all levels of education and vocational training including persons with disabilities.
    • Target 4.a: Build and upgrade education facilities that are child, disability, and gender-sensitive and provide safe, non-violent, inclusive, and effective learning environments for all.
  • Goal 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth:
    • Target 8.5: Achieve full and productive employment and decent work for all women and men, including for young people and persons with disabilities, and equal pay for work of equal value.
  • Goal 10: Reduced Inequalities:
    • Target 10.2: Empower and promote the social, economic, and political inclusion of all, irrespective of age, sex, disability, race, ethnicity, origin, religion, or economic or other status.
  • Goal 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities:
    • Target 11.2: Provide access to safe, affordable, accessible, and sustainable transport systems for all, improving road safety, notably by expanding public transport, with special attention to the needs of those in vulnerable situations, women, children, persons with disabilities, and older persons.
    • Target 11.7: Provide universal access to safe, inclusive, and accessible, green and public spaces, particularly for women and children, older persons, and persons with disabilities.
  • Goal 17: Partnerships for the Goals:
    • Target 17.18: By 2020, enhance capacity-building support to developing countries, including for least developed countries and small island developing States, to increase significantly the availability of high-quality, timely, and reliable data disaggregated by income, gender, age, race, ethnicity, migratory status, disability, geographic location, and other characteristics relevant in national contexts.

4. Resources :

If your country has a national sign language translation(s) of the CRPD that is not on the list, please inform us with a link at [email protected].

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