CRPD Senate Vote on Tuesday, December 4th!

[VIDEO] The United States Senate votes tomorrow, December 4th, on whether or not to ratify the United Nations Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities (CRPD). The National Association of the Deaf (“NAD”), along with the United States International Council on Disabilities, the Veterans of Foreign Wars, the Chamber of Commerce, the American Bar Association, and over 300 organizations, supports the ratification of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. We call on all deaf and hard of hearing people to contact and ask their Senators to support ratification of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities (“CRPD”). The treaty, while ratified in a number of international countries, has not been ratified in the United States.

Sixty-seven (67) Senators (representing a two-thirds majority of the 100 members of the Senate) must vote in favor in order to ratify the CRPD. And the Senate votes on this tomorrow! Here's the real story on CRPD and why it is important for your rights [2]. While the ADA and the CRPD parallel each other in select instances, the CRPD recognizes the deaf and hard of hearing community’s right to use sign language, receive full access, advocate for equality, and immersion in culture. The CRPD recognizes the cultural values of the deaf community, safeguards the right to communicate using sign language and makes available basic provisions that both improve and protect our access to healthcare, communication and technology.

Former U.S. Attorney General Dick Thornburgh and Ted Kennedy Jr. on The Daily Rundown with Chuck Todd on December 4th, 2012.

This morning, former U.S. Attorney General Dick Thornburgh and Ted Kennedy Jr. appeared together on a news show, The Daily Rundown with Chuck Todd, to explain the CRPD and why they support the bipartisan effort to ratify this international disability rights treaty. In Dick Thornburgh's own words, to "relinquish a leadership role on disabilities would send the wrong message domestically and globally."

The editorial board of the Washington Post published an article in support of the Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities [3], citing the bipartisan effort that extends from former Senator Bob Dole to Senator John Kerry to Senator John McCain, who all support Senate ratification of the CRPD.

The Washington Post went so far as to say that a vote for CRPD means a stand for "enlightened global engagement and a compassionate commitment to civil rights for all — including citizens with disabilities."

The facts are clear.

The CRPD will not change the Americans with Disabilities Act, nor will it change the way Americans engage in education, business and other endeavors. Ratifying the CRPD is an opportunity for the United States, a global leader in disability rights, to join a coalition of countries who pledge to improve conditions for individuals with disabilities.

But we can't do this without your support! The vote takes place TOMORROW. We need you to contact your Senators RIGHT NOW to tell them ratifying the CRPD is important to you!

Call your Senators:
Call the Capitol Switchboard at 202-224-3121 [4] and ask for your Senator by name. Tell your Senator that you want him or her to support the ratification of the CRPD!

Twitter:
If you use Twitter, join us and tweet your Senators- ask them to vote YES on the CRPD! Don't forget to include #CRPD in your tweets. Here's the full list of Senators, along with their Twitter handles. [5]

Facebook:
If you use Facebook, join us and contact your Senators through their official Facebook pages to ask for a YES vote! Here's a list of the Senate Facebook pages [6]- just click on the Facebook icon to visit your Senator's official Facebook page.


Get in touch with your Senators on the Web:
Many Senators have web forms you can fill out to contact them- it's easy, and takes two minutes of your time to contact your Senator!
Here's a list of all the Senate web contacts [7].


We're asking you to tell the Senate to do the right thing and ratify the CRPD, but we need your help. Contact your two Senators today and tomorrow. There are less than two days left. By Wednesday, we will know if the United States will continue to be a global leader for deaf and hard of hearing individuals, or if our legacy for respect and dignity for all will fade away in yellowed history books.

We need the Senate to take a stand, but you have to take the first step.
 

In solidarity, support and action,

The National Association of the Deaf

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