Petition to Ratify Convention on Rights of Persons with Disabilities in America

As advocates, we must call on the United States Congress, the United States Senate, and the President of the United States of America to ratify the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

Throughout history, persons with disabilities have been viewed as individuals who require societal protection and evoke sympathy rather than respect. This convention is a major step toward changing the perception of disability and ensures that societies recognize that all people must be provided with the opportunities to live life to their fullest potential, whatever that may be. By ratifying a convention, and after the treaty comes into force, a country accepts its legal obligations under the treaty and will adopt implementing legislation.

The United States of America has made efforts in the area of disability rights over the past twenty-five years that are very noteworthy and find People with disabilities with the Americans with Disabilities Act, for example. Despite the efforts America has made in the area of disability rights over the past quarter of a century, the majority of people with disabilities in this nation remain under-employed, poor, and under-educated because of a lack of equal opportunities and accessibility.

Vast disability issues related to Housing, Transportation, Education, Health Care and more may be approached and resolved through ratification of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD). People with Disabilities in America represent a highly-diverse population comprised of people from every ethnicity, age group, race, gender, sexual orientation and socioeconomic status. As advocates, we must call on the United States Congress, the United States Senate, and the President of the United States of America to ratify the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

The Convention is the first human rights treaty of the 21st century. The President of the United States of America ordered the signing of the CRPD on July 30th of 2009 - it is now necessary to ratify the treaty, giving it the force of law. As advocates of Persons with Disabilities, we must support the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD). People with Disabilities are America's largest minority population, as well as the only minority that anyone can become a member of at any time. At this time in America there are more than 54 million People with Disabilities - a number that is growing at a rapid rate as the overall population in this nation ages.

The United States Department of Education stated workers with disabilities consistently rated either average or above average in the quality, performance, flexibility, quantity of work, and attendance of the jobs they held. January of 2011 found the percentage of people with disabilities in the work force to be 20.1% in comparison to the percentage of non-disabled persons in the work force of 69.5%; an incredible and unacceptable difference. The very same month found people with disabilities experiencing an unemployment rate of 13.6% compared to one of 9.7% for non-disabled persons. The population of people with disabilities in America continues to experience the highest rate of unemployment.

Workers in America have a tendency to underestimate their risk of experiencing a form of disability. The year 2011; for example, found 64% of workers in this nation believing they had a 2% or less chance of being disabled for a period of three or more months during their working career. The actual odds for workers today are approximately 30%.

The United States of America continues to struggle with the impact of war as soldiers have fought in combat in more than one nation in a global war on terrorism. According to the government between October of 2001 and February of 2008, more than 30,000 veterans who served in Iraq, Afghanistan, and surrounding duty stations became wounded in action. Many of these veterans lost a hand or a limb, experienced severe burns or were blinded. Other veterans were diagnosed with hearing loss, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), traumatic brain injuries (TBI), or other forms of service-connected disabilities.

America as a nation must actively demonstrate a commitment to ratify the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. We must recommit ourselves as a nation to human rights, and the empowerment, full-participation, and independent living of every person who experiences a form of disability in America. Ratification of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities by the United States of America is essential to the establishment of full disability rights in America.

Please take a moment and sign the petition asking our elected officials to ratify the Convention. It will only take a very short amount of your time, and the advocacy it represents can find America will full ratification of this incredibly important treaty regarding our rights.

Despite more than two decades of the Americans with Disabilities Act; even though this nation has signed other Covenants and People with Disabilities have levels of rights in America - Ratification of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities by this nation is ESSENTIAL. Doing so will, 'Put Some Teeth,' into laws protecting our rights.