CPACC - Module 11: regional, national & domain-specific instruments

This is Module 11 of the CPACC (Certified Professional in Accessibility Core Competencies) Body of Knowledge — the second module of Domain 3, Standards, Laws, and Management Strategies. Module 10 covered the international layer (the UDHR, CRPD, Marrakesh Treaty); this module drops down to the regional, national, and domain-specific instruments that actually enforce disability rights day to day.

The big picture #

Civil-rights protections for people with disabilities have spread rapidly since the 1990s. The US Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 was the groundbreaker, and it provided the model for the UN CRPD. In Europe, thirty-three countries have adopted some form of disability-equality protection.

Alongside the CRPD, the shift from the medical model to the social model is the main driver of a legal shift: away from a welfare / social-security law model and toward an anti-discrimination / equality law model.

Two legal approaches #

The law has two ways to grant rights to (or accommodate the needs of) people with disabilities. Telling them apart is a favorite exam question.

| Approach | What it means | Example instrument | |---|---|---| | Reasonable accommodation (a.k.a. individual accommodation) | Ensures equal treatment case by case — a specific measure for a specific person, unless it imposes a disproportionate burden | EU Employment Equality Directive | | Accessibility | Conditions for using a product, service, or environment are met by default, for everyone, regardless of disability status | US Section 508 (Rehabilitation Act of 1973) |

Regional instruments #

| Instrument | Year | Body | What it does | |---|---|---|---| | Charter of Fundamental Rights of the EU | declared 2000, in force 2009 | EU | Sets out the full range of civil, political, economic & social rights of everyone living in the EU | | Employment Equality Directive | 2000 | EU | Prohibits disability discrimination in employment/occupation; requires reasonable accommodation; implemented in all member states’ national law | | African Charter on Human and People’s Rights | 1981 | African Union | Recognizes the rights of all people; not disability-specific, but used to fight disability discrimination | | African Disability Rights Protocol (ADRP) | adopted 2018, in force 2024 | African Union | Protocol to the Charter; adds to the CRPD (armed conflict, forced displacement, harmful practices) | | Inter-American Convention (elimination of discrimination against PWD) | 1999 (Guatemala) | OAS | First regional, binding treaty that expressly prohibits disability discrimination |

National instruments #

| Country | Instrument (year) | What it does | |---|---|---| | US | Americans with Disabilities Act — ADA (1990) | Civil-rights law; equal opportunity in public accommodations, employment, transportation, state/local government services, telecommunications. Modeled the CRPD. | | Canada | Accessible Canada Act — ACA (2019) | Applies to government + federally regulated entities (banks, insurance, transport, telecom); aims for a barrier-free Canada by 2040 | | UK | Equality Act (2010) | Consolidates & strengthens anti-discrimination law; protects against direct, indirect, and arising-from-disability discrimination | | Australia | Disability Discrimination Act — DDA (1992) | Makes disability discrimination unlawful; a comprehensive review was announced July 2025 |

Domain-specific laws #

These target a specific technology or sector (communications, air travel, broadcasting, procurement) rather than disability broadly.

| Region | Instrument (year) | What it covers | |---|---|---| | US | CVAA — 21st Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act (2010) | Modern communications & video programming must be accessible | | US | Air Carrier Access Amendments Act (2017) | Rights of air passengers with disabilities — US airlines + all flights to/from the US | | US | Accessibility of Web Information & Services of State & Local Government Entities (2024) | Revises ADA Title II; digital-content standards for state/local government | | EU | Audiovisual Media Services Directive (2010) | Broadcast & on-demand continually more accessible; accessible emergency information | | EU | eIDAS Regulation (2014) | Trust services (digital identity, authentication) must be accessible | | EU | European Electronic Communications Code (2018) | Telecommunications must be accessible |

Procurement laws #

Procurement laws make sure governments buy accessible products and services, and they name the standard those products must meet.

| Instrument | Standard it uses | |---|---| | EU Public Procurement Directives (binding 2016) | EN 301 549 — specs must account for accessibility; can exclude operators who violated social/accessibility obligations | | US Section 508 | WCAG — ICT developed/procured/maintained/used by federal agencies, and for federal employees |

Quick self-check #

What are the two legal approaches to disability rights, and how do they differ?
Which US law (year) modeled the UN CRPD?
Which instrument is the first regional, binding treaty expressly prohibiting disability discrimination?
What year did the African Disability Rights Protocol come into force?
What standard does the EU name for ICT accessibility? What does the US (Section 508) use?
Name Canada’s disability law, its target date, and one priority area.

Knowledge check #

Answer each question, then check — the feedback explains every choice.

Knowledge check

1. Which of the following addresses accessibility requirements for ICT products and services in the European Union?

Equality Act 2010 Charter of Fundamental Rights of the EU EU Public Procurement Directives EN 301 549

2. Which law ensures the rights of people with disabilities in Canada?

Accessible Canada Act of 2019 Ontarians with Disabilities Act of 2001 Americans with Disabilities Act 1990

3. The African Charter on Human and People's Rights states that people with disabilities have the right to special protections.

True False

4. What are the main drivers of the legal shift from the welfare/social-security model toward anti-discrimination or equality law? Select all that apply.

The shift from the medical to the social model of disability The Charter of Fundamental Rights The UK Equality Act of 2010 The 2006 UN CRPD

5. The European Electronic Communications Code of 2018 requires that telecommunications be accessible.

True False

6. How is accommodation different from accessibility?

Accommodation aims to ensure equal treatment on a case-by-case basis, while accessibility is focused on making something usable by default to people with disabilities Accommodation is optional based on an employer's needs, while accessibility is required Accommodation applies to learning, while accessibility applies to the workplace

Study tip: don’t memorize this module as a wall of laws — memorize it as a grid. Down one axis: the layer (international → regional → national → domain-specific → procurement). Across the other: who, what year, what scope, which standard. Then drill the two things the exam tests hardest — reasonable accommodation vs. accessibility, and EN 301 549 (EU) vs. WCAG (US Section 508).