National Association of the Deaf

On July 29, 2009, President Barack Obama signed the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD). At the present time, 153 countries have signed this international treaty recognizing the civil and human rights of people with disabilities. However, only 112 of these countries have taken the necessary step of ratification, which makes a country's participation official in the treaty. On May 17, 2012, President Obama sent the treaty to the Senate and asked the Senators to ratify it.

The National Association of the Deaf (NAD) expresses thanks to the President for having signed the treaty three years ago and sending it to the Senate for ratification at this time. The United Nations developed and adopted the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities to advance equality further throughout the world. Persons with disabilities, including representatives of the World Federation of the Deaf (WFD) were extensively involved throughout this process.  A “Convention” is an international treaty or an agreement. If a country ratifies this treaty, the country becomes obligated to implement rights spelled out in the treaty, such as protecting the human rights of individuals with disabilities. This Convention encompasses critical activities that create quality in living, encompassing employment, education, health care, transportation, legal and social justice, communication, and recreation.

This treaty is essential to promoting the civil, human, and linguistic rights of all deaf and hard of hearing people in the United States and throughout the world. The CRPD follows other UN Conventions in that it recognizes the importance of p