Abstract: This chapter provides an overview of the background to the UN Disability Convention’s adoption, summarizes the contents of the CRPD, and then assesses its future prospects for improving the lives of the six hundred and fifty million individuals with disabilities worldwide. When looking forward we focus on three areas where we believe the Convention will have the most immediate impact, beginning with more abstract notions that include reconceptualizing disability as a human rights issue and moving thereafter towards more concrete results. [Further to publisher request only an abstract is furnished.]