The Impact of the International Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities on Qatari Domestic Legislation

The entry into force of the International Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities means that State Parties shall adapt their legislation and regulation to the social model designed in the international text. The present work aims to identify the general challenges faced by Qatar in that task. After presenting the keys to understanding the requirements of the Convention, the paper underlines the necessity of a cultural change in addition to a legal one. In this way, Qatar shares with other State Parties theoretical, legal, social and economic problems. Specifically, the current medical model in Qatar policies should be replaced with the conventional social model. This implies the elimination of discrimination based on disability, the universal accessibility, the legal capacity for persons with disabilities and their right to live independently. A priority is to generate an associative movement around disability