The UN General Assembly adopted the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in 2006 to protect the rights and dignity of people with mental and/or physical disabilities. Its articles include protection for the rights to education, justice, and accessibility to facilities and services, among others.
This convention expanded and formalized the Declaration on the Rights of Disabled Persons of 1975. It furthers the understanding that people with disabilities are not to be considered the responsibility of charity or social welfare, but rather that people with disabilities are individuals with agency. The document also acknowledges that although people with disabilities are included in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, they still experience discrimination in many aspects of their lives.
Signing of the convention (via UN Photo)