With international human rights under challenge, this book represents a comprehensive critique that adds a social policy perspective to recent political and legalistic analysis. Expert contributors draw on local and global examples to review constructs of universal rights and their impact on social policy and human welfare. With thorough analysis of their strengths, weaknesses and enforcement, it sets out their role in domestic and geopolitical affairs. Including a forward by Albie Sachs, this book presents an honest appraisal of both the concepts of international human rights and their realities. It will engage those with an interest in social policy, ethics, politics, international relations, civil society organisations and human rights-based approaches to campaigning and policy development.

Disability Law and Policy: An Analysis of the UN Convention undertakes a multidisciplinary examination of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. The rights-based perspective on disability is a relatively new lens through which disability law and policy is considered. This is despite the fact that persons with disabilities are often described as the world's largest minority. There are approximately 1 billion persons with disabilities in the world (15% of the world's population). This book is an edited volume of essays that undertakes a multidisciplinary examination of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Part 1 focuses on disability and intersectionality. Part 2 addresses the on-going debate about the meaning of Article 12, the right to equal recognition before the law. The chapters contained in Part 3 address the emerging discourse on the right to liberty as contained in Article 14 of the CRPD and the barriers facing persons with mental health problems. Part 4 of this collection examines the right to live independently and to be included in the community. The themes of the right to inclusive education and employment for persons with disabilities are explored in Parts 5 and 6 of the collection. Finally, Part 7 examines how the CRPD is being implemented regionally and in a number of jurisdictions. [Subject: Human Rights Law, Disability Law]