Your Support Needed for the Ratification of the Convention on the
Rights of People with Disabilities
SILVER SPRING, MD (September 10, 2012)- The National Association of the
Deaf (“NAD”), calls on all deaf and hard of hearing people to contact
and ask their Senators to support ratification of the United Nations
Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities (“CRPD”). The
treaty, while ratified in a number of international countries, has not
been ratified in the United States.
Support for the CRPD by Senate members of the Senate Foreign Relations
Committee on July 26, 2012 moved the treaty through to the general
Senate for a floor vote. The Senate was called to recess on August 3,
2012 before there was an opportunity to vote on the CRPD on the Senate
floor. The Senate returns from recess on Monday, September 10th, 2012,
but no specific date for a vote on the CRPD has been set. Sixty-seven
(67) Senators (representing a two-thirds majority of the 100 members of
the Senate) must vote in favor in order to ratify the CRPD.
While the ADA and the CRPD parallel each other in select instances, the
CRPD recognizes the deaf and hard of hearing community’s right to use
sign language, receive full access, advocate for equality, and
immersion in culture. The CRPD recognizes the cultural values of the
deaf community, safeguards the right to communicate using sign language
and makes available basic provisions that both improve and protect our
access to healthcare, communication and technology.
“The United States can stand shoulder-to-shoulder with other countries
who have ratified the CRPD, but only with your advocacy,” said NAD
President Chris Wagner. “We must push for recognition of our community,
along with equal access to language, information, healthcare, education
and employment, among many other critical pressure points.”
In addition to the NAD, numerous other organizations, including the
United States International Council on Disabilities (USICD), continue
to promote CRPD ratification. The NAD encourages every deaf and hard of
hearing American, along with their family, friends and co-workers, to
ask their state’s two U.S. Senators to support the CRPD.
“Ratification of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with
Disabilities will assure that the rights of millions of deaf and hard
of hearing Americans are recognized and respected throughout the
world,” said CEO Howard A. Rosenblum. “Please take this opportunity to
tell your Senator to take this important step in the march towards
equality. Urge your Senators to stand on the right side of history.”
Two reasons why we need your support for CRPD:
1. The CRPD recognizes sign language and deaf culture as human rights,
and includes language such as “deaf culture”, “linguistic identity”,
and “deaf community.”
2. The United States is currently excluded from the International
Committee formed to enforce the requirements of the CRPD throughout the
world. If the CRPD is ratified in the U.S., the U.S. will be able to
join the global community in efforts to promote, protect, and ensure
full and equal enjoyment of all human rights and fundamental freedoms
by all persons with disabilities, and to promote respect for their
inherent dignity.
For more CRPD information, and breaking-news updates, visit the USICD
website. Remember, the fight is far from over! You can help to ratify
the CRPD in three ways:
1) You need to call or e-mail your Senator RIGHT NOW.
Call: Call the Capitol Switchboard at 202-224-3121 and ask for your
Senator by name.
E-mail: Here’s a sample message you can copy and paste, and it’ll take
you two minutes to send an e-mail to your Senator right here, right
now.
SAMPLE MESSAGE:
RE: Ratification of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with
Disabilities
Hello, my name is [INSERT YOUR NAME HERE].
I stand with the National Association of the Deaf, among several other
organizations and advocates, in my strong support of the Convention on
the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. I am writing to you today to
urge you to support the ratification of the CRPD. As your constituent,
I request that you vote for the ratification of the CRPD when it comes
to a vote on the floor of the Senate.
Thank you,
[INSERT YOUR NAME HERE].
Not sure how to contact your Senator? Here’s all the information you
need, right here!
2) You ALSO need to spread the news to everyone you know RIGHT NOW.
Tell them to stand with the National Association of the Deaf and to
contact their Senators, and ask for the ratification of the CRPD. Think
family members, co-workers, friends- everyone you know.
If you have Twitter, tweet that you’ve contacted your Senators! Here’s
an example tweet from a deaf Californian who e-mailed her Senators:
Just told @SenatorBoxer & @SenFeinstein to support the Convention on
the Rights of People with Disabilities (#CRPD)! Thanks, @nadtweets!
Don’t forget to update your Facebook status to tell everyone you’ve
done your part, too!
3) If you know that your Senator is in support of the CRPD then THANK
THEM AND ASK THEM TO SUPPORT THE CRPD during the Senate floor vote!
If your Senator is against the CRPD, ASK THEM TO CHANGE THEIR MIND AND
SUPPORT THE CRPD during the Senate floor vote!
The contact information for your Senators can be found here.
Thanks for contacting your Senator today, and spreading the word!
—
Christopher Patterson
Region 3 Representative
Board of Directors
National Association of the Deaf
Visit us at http://www.nad.org