At the U.N., the General Assembly has adopted a landmark treaty to uphold the rights of the disabled. The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities has been hailed the first human rights treaty of the 21st century.

U.N. Deputy Secretary-General Mark Malloch Brown: “Today promises, we hope, the dawn of a new era where disabled people will no longer have to endure the discriminatory practices and attitudes that have been permitted to prevail for all too long. This convention is a remarkable and forward-looking document, while it focuses on the rights and development of people with disabilities and also speaks about our society as a whole and our need to enable everyone to contribute to the best of their ability.”