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ACTION ALERT!
Demand
the Removal of Limitations On U.S Commitment to Implement Convention on the
Rights of Persons with Disabilities!
This
message is of urgent importance for disability rights. Please circulate in your
organizations, and on emails lists and social media that you're connected with:
In
a meeting held July 26th, the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations gutted
protections that could have been offered to people with disabilities in the
United States. These protections are part of an international agreement (treaty)
called ‘the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities". Adopted by
the United Nations in 2008, and now with 117 countries participating, the
Convention sets the bar for protecting and advancing the rights of persons with
disabilities. It represents the collective conscience of the world community
that persons with disabilities are entitled to a life of respect, dignity,
self-determination and the support needed from society to access these
things.
The
Senate Foreign Relations Committee declared that “current United States law
fulfills or exceeds the obligations of the Convention.” The U.S
government is saying that, the treaty would not require the government to change
and strengthen our existing laws as to protect ALL Human Rights of
ALL persons with disabilities.
According
to Senators, “We’re already way ahead of where the Disabilities Convention seeks
to go. It simply requires and encourages other countries to come up to where we
are.”
OUR
HUMAN RIGHTS ARE NOT CURRENTLY FULLY PROTECTED BY U.S. LAWS!
SPEAK
UP! CALL YOUR SENATORS!
Tell
the Senate that current U.S. laws do not adequately protect the Human Rights of
all persons with disabilities. Tell them you want the Convention on the Rights
of Persons with Disabilities passed– WITHOUT Reservations, Understandings, and
Declarations (RUDs) by our government that limits its legal obligations under
the treaty:
·
“The
Senate declares that, in view of the reservations to be included in the
instrument of ratification, current United States law fulfills or exceeds the
obligations of the Convention for the United States.”
This
declaration claims that any actions taken to improve U.S. existing laws would be
a matter of political choice rather than legal obligations to comply with the
CRPD. In essence, it removes any U.S responsibility to change their current laws
or uphold any treaty mandates that aren’t already in place within the U.S
federal law.
Don’t
wait. Call now.
The full Senate is expected to vote on the Convention on Thursday, August
2nd.
To
contact your Senators, it's easy:
NY
Senators
Gillibrand,
Kirsten E. - (D - NY) Class I
478
RUSSELL SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202)
224-4451
Web
Form: www.gillibrand.senate.gov/contact/
Schumer,
Charles E. - (D - NY) Class III
322
HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202)
224-6542
1.
Go to this link: Senators of the 112th Congress
2.
Choose a State.
3.
Your Senator's phone, website and address will come up
automatically.
Human
Rights
Know
them. Demand them.
Defend
them.
