National Association of the Deaf

Submitted by Alexis.Kashar on Wed, 08/19/2009 - 16:26

On July 30th, the United States signed the United Nations (UN) Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities (CRPD) which will help to ensure equal rights for people with disabilities throughout the world. A “convention” is an international treaty or an agreement. Countries that are members of the UN can sign the convention. A country that signs the convention agrees to the principles stated in the convention.

The CRPD encourages equal treatment in all aspects of employment, including hiring and promotion. The CRPD also encourages physical and communication access to education systems, public places, government programs, and medical facilities. The CRPD recognizes the cultural and linguistic identity of deaf people who use sign language. Furthermore, it recognizes that teachers of the deaf should be trained in sign language and that deaf children have the right to be educated using appropriate language in environments that maximize both educational and social advancement. The CRPD can be found in its entirety at www.un.org/disabilities.

The United States now joins about 141 other countries which have already signed the CRPD since it was opened for signature in March of 2007. The United States Senate must agree to the CRPD as well. President Obama is expected to submit the CRPD to the United States Senate for its approval in the near future. When the Senate approves the CRPD, it may provide additional support to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

The National Association of the Deaf (NAD) was invited to a reception at the United States Mission to the UN in New York City, to celebrate the United States’ participation in the CRPD. I had the pleasure of attending the reception on behalf of the NAD. The reception was attended by representatives of various organizations in the United States and by ambassadors of different countries that were involved in the writing of the CRPD or that support the CRPD. Susan Rice, the United States Ambassador to the UN and Valerie Jarrett, senior advisor to President Obama, were on hand to greet and speak to those of us who attended the reception.

Historically, the United States does not sign UN treaties because the United States often has laws that provide the same or more than the treaties require. In this situation, the Bush administration said the CRPD would interfere with what the ADA already provides in this country. On the other hand, the Obama Administration, by lending its support to the CRPD, apparently does not have the same concerns about the impact that international treaties could have on United States laws.

At the reception, Ms. Jarrett said that, by signing the CRPD, the United States was showing its commitment for the fundamental rights for all persons with disabilities around the world to equal treatment. Ms. Jarrett also announced the creation of a position within the United States State Department which would focus on the promotion of the rights of persons with disabilities around the world and to implement the CRPD.

As good as all of this sounds, I also hope the Obama Administration recognizes that there is a lot to be done under the ADA in this country, especially for the deaf and hard of hearing community. Employers continue to discriminate against deaf and hard of hearing people by refusing to hire us and support our advancement. Doctors, lawyers, and others continue to refuse to provide communication access. The United States Department of Justice is overwhelmed with all of the complaints that have been filed and are often unable to respond in a timely fashion. The use of the United States court system is also unrealistic for many of us. In short, implementation and enforcement of the ADA continues to be a massive undertaking, even 19 years after it was passed.

We, deaf and hard of hearing Americans, must not be left behind. We ask that the Obama Administration not forget us in its pursuit of equal rights for people with disabilities worldwide.