NAD Letter to AG Bell about CRPD

NAD Letter to AG Bell about CRPD

National Association of the Deaf

http://www.nad.org

July 27, 2012

Alexander T. Graham
Executive Director/CEO
Alexander Graham Bell Association
3417 Volta Place, NW
Washington, DC 20007

Dear Mr. Graham:

As you are aware, the Convention on the Rights of People with
Disabilities (CRPD) passed out of the Senate Foreign Relations
Committee yesterday by a vote of 13-6. The CRPD now goes to the full
Senate for a vote hopefully next week so that the United States can
take a leadership role in United Nations matters with respect to the
rights of deaf and hard of hearing people along with other people with
disabilities.

We recognize that you sent a letter on July 25, 2012 indicating your
organization’s support of the CRPD to the attention of Senator John
Kerry in his role as chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee,
and appreciate this support.

However, it has come to our attention that at least two individuals
affiliated with your organization have sent out calls to action to
oppose the CRPD. One of them is Lisa Goldstein who sent out an email
asking people to oppose the CRPD and indicating that she is the
“Communications Director [for the] PA Chapter of AG Bell.” The other is
from Theresa Bulger who has sent out a similar email that also
references a “PA Coalition.” You likely have those emails, but we are
happy to share those emails with you if you need them. While we do not
know the nature of your organization’s relationship to these two
individuals, we ask that you take whatever steps are necessary to quell
such harmful actions that potentially affect the ratification of the
CRPD. We urge your organization to send out an email to its membership
indicating that they should support the CRPD and that any efforts to
oppose it should cease and desist.

It is important to do all that is possible to ensure ratification of
the CRPD at this critical juncture.

Sincerely,
Christopher D. Wagner
President

Source:
http://www.nad.org/sites/default/files/2012/July/NAD%20Letter%20to%20AG%20Bell%202012%2007%2027.pdf

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