U.N. Convention on Rights of Persons with Disabilities is on its way
by Jennifer
Over 3,000 Easter Seals advocates sent a message to President Obama asking him to send the United Nations’ Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities on to the Senate so that they could APPROVE the treaty. Your voices were heard! On Thursday, May 18, the President transmitted the Convention to the U.S. Senate.
The U.N. Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities affirms that all people with disabilities must have the same rights and dignity as their non-disabled peers. As you can imagine, the rights and independence of people with disabilities varies greatly by country throughout the world. In some countries people with disabilities face unimaginable barriers to dignity and independence. In others, there may still be progress to be made in specific areas addressed by the Convention.
One of the great things about the Convention (which uses many of the same principles as the U.S. Americans with Disabilities Act) is that it would create a base level of rights protection for people with disabilities in all countries that approve it.
More than 100 countries across the globe have added their support of the Convention. The U.S. Senate must approve the Convention before September 2012 in order for the United States to participate in the oversight body of the Convention and influence its implementation. This will allow us to assure that the Convention lives up to its promise.
Thank you all for your on-going support of people with disabilities all over the world. Easter Seals’ Office of Public Affairs will continue to monitor the ratification process and we will be calling upon you to further weigh in as the Senate addresses the treaty. For now, though, let’s enjoy this victory!
May 30th, 2012 at 4:12 pm
NO NO NO! We do not want decisions for Americans made by the UN! This convention is written with an incredible amount of latitude and gives the UN the ability to legislate law on US soil.
Do you want Americans making decisions for Americans or do you want someone in the Hague who is completely disconnected from you and has no allegiance or accountability to you whatsoever in an electoral process telling you what to do?
This gives sweeping control to the UN. As a parents of TWO children with special needs, I want to make the decisions and not someone 3,000 miles away.
These protections already exist in the Americans with Disabilities Act. State sovereignty as it pertains to disability law will be taken away and given to the UN.
People are jumping the gun thinking that this is good – for 3rd world countries with no disability laws, possibly but for the US it is NOT going to make things better.
Do you want the UN to decide your child’s special education program? Decide on what is best for their care and medical well-being?
Take a look at the resolution and look at the far-reaching ramifications it could have due to the weak language.
Do NOT support this with your Senators!
This is a political move on the part of the president to take away rights of parents and rights of all Americans when it comes to our own sovereignty. The UN does not decide for Americans – Americans do!