UN CRPD Hearing and Mark Up: Bipartisan Support for Ratification

On May 17 the Obama Administration submitted the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) to the United States Senate for its advice and consent, and a week later a bipartisan group of seven Senators came out in support of the treaty. On July 12, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee held a hearing on the U.S. ratification of the CRPD. CEC issued a press release in support of the ratification. The testimony was compelling and ratification is seen by many as a bipartisan issue as stated by Senators Harkin and McCain.

Voices from CEC members made a difference. Thank you for sending letters and calling your Senators. There was overall strong support for ratification from experts from government and civil society. The Senate Foreign Relations Committee has scheduled the mark up of the treaty out of committee for July 19 at 9:03am. Please go to CEC’s Legislative Action Center and send a letter asking your Senator to support U.S. ratification of the CRPD.

This vital nondiscrimination treaty seeks to achieve the same goals as existing disability laws in the United States--to empower individuals with disabilities to achieve economic self-sufficiency, independent living, and inclusion and integration into all aspects of society including education. According to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, 90 percent of children with disabilities in developing countries have no access to school, and the International Labour Organization reports that in some countries, the unemployment rate among individuals with disabilities is as high as 80 percent. 

In the face of this despair, the CRPD is a vital, new instrument for the advancement of rights and opportunities for people with disabilities around the world. To learn more about the CRPD, please read CEC’s CRPD Issue Brief.

Comments

[Kimberly Falzone]

I have read the entire CRPD treaty (Convention on the Rights of Disabled Persons) as well as every testimony from yesterday's hearing before the Senate Relations Committee. I am appalled that only one voice, who opposed the ratification of this treaty even cared to represent the disabled CHILD and their parents in this matter. This treaty will have a huge negative impact on every disabled child and their parents and yet we were grossly under-represented in that hearing yesterday. There were nine witnesses (7 in support/2 opposed) and all seven who supported this treaty talked of the benefits for adults and veterans. I find this to be DISCRIMINATION AGAINST DISABLED CHILDREN in the UNITED STATES of AMERICA. I am sounding the call loud and clear to every disabled family I know that there is a great problem looming in the horizon for their child's education and their parental rights and strongly will OPPOSE the ratification of this treaty. Please go to www.foreign.senate.gov/hearings. Select July 12 Convention on the Rights of a Disabled Person and then scroll down to panel three to read Dr. Michael Farris’ testimony. Especially pay attention to pages 9-11 to find out how this treaty will affect every public, private and homeschooling disabled child and will strip away the rights of the parents to have the final say on their child’s education.

[Emily Minich]

My child is disabled..... I absolutely do not want this treaty signed! I could not be more displeased or dismayed than I am at the fact that my government wants to give away my rights as a parent.

[shannon]

I am against this 100% my.child was in a school he.was pulled out because of lack of training in an autism classroom and lack of caring teachers and school. Including board members who has the right to say whats best for a child other than the parents.. they know the child inside and out .. taking away a parents rights and letting others who could care less decide whats right for your child is WRONG! And thats not America. If the govt wants to help start by making things and treatments and therapies more accessable for parents to help their child in all states not taking away our rights thats not america