Many countries in Europe have ratified the UN convention on the rights of persons with disabilities, but its implementation on national and local levels vary. The convention highlights a social-contextual model of disability and emphasizes that disability should be addressed from the perspective of human rights rather than from a social welfare perspective or charity. This has great implications for the role of social work due to its linkage to concepts of human rights and social justice. However, in seeking full citizenship for persons with disabilities, for social work there is much to gain in applying human rights standards, social work methods and engagement in the human rights discourse.

The central argument of this workshop is that social work should consider strengthening the rights-based practice of the profession by referencing it more specifically to the CRPD. The aim of this workshop is to discuss concerns and critical issues with regard to the translation of the convention by social work by the means of a world café: discussions are held in multiple rounds of 15 minutes, allowing open conversations to take place. The key issues are presented in a closing plenary discussion.