The UN Convention
At The Huffington Post, William Daroff writes of the
Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD):
More than 130 countries have already ratified the convention, which commits these nations to passing and strengthening laws to promote the rights of people with disabilities. The United States was the first nation to pass a comprehensive disability rights law, the ADA, and our delay in ratifying this treaty sends the wrong message to the world and to Americans with disabilities.
Fifty million Americans benefit from the ADA, and ratifying the disability treaty would further protect their rights when they work or travel abroad. Additionally, as the treaty leads to more rights and access in other countries, American expertise and technology that improves the lives of people with disabilities will be in higher demand abroad, expanding markets for American products and businesses.
These are among the many reasons that the disability treaty has broad bipartisan support in the Senate, is endorsed by more than 500 disability organizations and 22 veterans' groups, and not just the usual progressive suspects. It also enjoys the backing of two Republican leaders I had the opportunity to work for, President George H.W. Bush (R) and former Sen. Bob Dole (R-Kan.).
These leaders understand that all people should have the opportunity to achieve economic self-sufficiency, enjoy equality of opportunity, and participate fully in society. Ratifying the disability treaty will expand the global dialogue on these issues, and American leadership in this dialogue is essential.
The Jewish tradition stresses the equality of all people before our Creator, and the obligation we share to help facilitate the full participation of everyone in public life. In the Talmud we read: "Do not scorn any person, and do not discount the importance of anything. For there is no person who does not have their hour, and there is nothing without its place."
At Left Brain/Right Brain, Matt Carey kicks an argument to the curb:
Why would AoA be afraid of putting the child’s best interests as paramount?
As you know Michael Bloomberg is now pushing for universal vaccinations for all preschoolers. This requirement will be mandated nationally with ratification of the UN CRPD and, ultimately with the ratification of the UN CRC.
Yes. Fear vaccines. Fear the government. The author of the AoA article makes huge leaps of logic (nothing new for AoA, I know) to claim that if we ratify the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, children will be vaccinated.
The woman who wrote this article may not even have a direct connection to the autism community or the disability community. She’s using the fear government+vaccine angle to try to get support for her cause at AoA. Here are her reasons for disliking the Convention. The CRPD would somehow give rights to homosexuals. Can’t have that here in America, can we? Well, except for here in California where we once again have marriage equality…or many other places in the U.S
