Universal Design and the UN Convention

In 2006, the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities was adopted by the UN General Assembly.

The convention has since been ratified by France, Germany, UK, New Zealand, Australia, Canada and many other countries.

The convention aims to “promote, protect and ensure the full and equal enjoyment of all human rights by persons with disabilities.”

Universal Design has also been defined in the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities:

“Universal design” means the design of products, environments, programmes and services to be usable by all people, to the greatest extent possible, without the need for adaptation or specialized design. “Universal design” shall not exclude assistive devices for particular groups of persons with disabilities where this is needed