Genesis and the Current State of the Global Maxim “Nothing About Us Without Us”

This chapter documents the concrete implementation of the principle “Nothing About Us Without Us” through the Disability Rights Movement, especially during the elaboration of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD). The implementation of this principle by disability rights groups has led to unprecedented changes in social, legal, and political systems, which has brought about a paradigm shift from the medical model of disability to the social and human rights models. Years later, the principle was even reflected in the Sustainable Development Goals of the 2030 Agenda. The chapter also shows that there is still progress to be made with regard to how psychosocial and intellectual disabilities are situated within disability rights work, so that “Nothing About Us Without Us” can become a full reality.