Ratify UN Convention on Rights of Person with Disability

The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (“Disabilities Treaty”) is an international human rights treaty that protects the rights and dignity of disabled people. The Disabilities Treaty promotes the goals of autonomy, acceptance, accessibility, and full equality under the law for people with disabilities. The Disabilities Treaty has had a positive impact worldwide, promoting the movement to view disabled people as full and equal members of society. The American Bar Association is a longtime supporter of the rights of disabled people and strongly supports U.S. ratification of the Disabilities Treaty. The U.S. has been a leader of the movement to promote, protect, and ensure the full and equal enjoyment of all human rights and fundamental freedoms by all people with disabilities. In 1990, the U.S. passed the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), becoming the first country to adopt national civil rights legislation banning discrimination against disabled people. Internationally, the ADA is seen as the gold standard for domestic legislation protecting the rights of the disabled. The ADA served as the model for the Disabilities Treaty, which embodies the ADA’s principles of non-discrimination, equality of opportunity, accessibility, and inclusion at an international level. In 2009, the U.S. signed the Disabilities Treaty, but has not yet ratified it. The Disabilities Treaty has wide-ranging support domestically and internationally, as well as strong bipartisan support. 141 countries are parties to the Disabilities Treaty. A broad coalition of domestic disability rights, civil rights, faith based, business, and veteran organizations representing millions of Americans support ratification. The State Department supports ratification. In 2012, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee approved of the Disabilities Treaty, but ratification failed by just five votes. Ratification of the Disabilities Treaty will have a significant, positive impact both internationally and domestically without adding to the U.S. budget or requiring any changes to U.S. domestic law. Ratification of the Disabilities Treaty would enable the U.S. to reaffirm its leadership on disability rights. Through the ADA, the U.S. has been a leader in this area, but increasingly the center of gravity for disability rights has shifted internationally to the Disabilities Treaty. Ratification will allow the U.S. to fight for the rights of persons with disabilities everywhere. Ratification will also have a significantly benefit for Americans. By promoting the high standards of the ADA internationally, the world will be opened and accessible for millions of disabled Americans wanting to serve, study, work, and travel abroad. Ratification will also create new markets for American businesses abroad to meet the needs of the global disabled population. As the world’s historic leader on disability rights, the U.S. has a duty to share its knowledge and protect the interests of disabled people, both American and foreign, by joining in the international dialogue on human rights for individuals with disabilities. As such, the ABA: URGES THE SENATE TO RATIFY THE CONVENTION ON THE RIGHTS OF PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES.

American Bar Association ● Governmental Affairs Office ● www.americanbar.org/advocacy

ABA Contact: Kristi Gaines ● (202) 662-1763 ● kristi.gaines@americanbar.org