Jordie Hannum, Director, Better World Campaign
I want to be sure this is on your radar: The Senate Foreign Relations Committee will take up the United Nations Disability Treaty again today, Tuesday, November 5, and we need to rally in a big way if we have a shot at getting it ratified.
In case you need a refresher, the UN Disability Treaty is an international treaty that provides a framework for countries to embrace the rights and dignity of all people with disabilities.
Sounds non-controversial, right? Well, believe it or not, the treaty actually fell victim to political posturing in the Senate last December – failing to be ratified by only five votes.
The UN Disability Treaty was actually inspired by U.S. legislation, and it is frankly embarrassing that the U.S. has failed to join 126 other countries in ratifying it. In fact, it was modeled after the Americans with Disabilities Act, which values independence and respect for disabled people by promoting reasonable accommodations – things as basic as wheelchair ramps.
For the nearly 58 million Americans (including more than 5 million veterans) who have one or more disabilities, that was a game-changer. And that’s the kind of impact the Disability Treaty could have for the 1 billion people who live with a disability worldwide.
We’re not going to have a third shot at getting this done, so make sure your friends and family know you care about the U.S. ratifying the treaty by sharing this on Facebook today.