By Alexa Wohlfort, Summer NCIL Policy Intern

First, a big thank you to all those who called their Senators, especially in the last few days! You made a difference that was felt. Thanks to all of your incredible support, Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Menendez called for a markup in order to hear and give the chance for Senate Committee members to approve amendments or changes to the treaty to make its meaning clearer (also called Reservations Understandings and Declarations – RUDS). Many Committee members emphasized that, as a leader and example in disability rights legislation, the fact that 147 countries have already ratified the treaty before the US discredits our reputation as a human rights leader among nations.

Issues brought up concerned the language of the CRPD and its intended meaning, and continue to revolve around the same main concerns. First, the Committee heard and voted on an amendment / RUD to clarify the treaty’s language on education to say that it expressly does not prohibit parental rights to home school children but only ensures that children with disabilities be afforded the same right to an accessible public education that children without disabilities have.

Other Senators debated strongly whether the treaty should expressly state that it is not meant to denigrate the authority of, or as was bantered about in the meeting yesterday, “diminish the sovereignty of” any country that ratifies it. However, the treaty is simply a document that establishes that the countries that ratify it believe that people with and without disabilities should have the same rights and access to goods and services as those without disabilities. It is not meant to be an avenue for the United Nations to take away anyone’s access to education or healthcare; to force unwanted procedures on people with disabilities; or to prevent someone from seeing a healthcare provider of their choice. The treaty simply states that the undersigned countries agree that persons with disabilities should have the same access to all aspects of healthcare as people who do not have disabilities. It should not be used as a vehicle to publicize and debate hot-button issues such as abortion rights and parental rights to make healthcare and educational decisions for their children.

Amid much debate, the treaty was voted out of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee by a vote of 12-6, which could result in a full vote by the Senate next week. The passage of CRPD at this time would be a great way to celebrate the 24^th Anniversary of the ADA next week. Let’s take the treaty to the finish line. Contact your Senator. Tell them to stop the antics of unnecessary debate that is holding up passage of this important document and inhibiting this important step toward equitable rights for persons with disabilities across the world. We must unite to make ourselves heard. Tell your Senator to let the US remain a role model for disability rights and to ensure victory for the international disability community. “VOTE YES. Ratify CRPD NOW!”

Source: US International Council on Disabilities (USICD)

Join advocates from across the country for a final national call to learn what you can do to help pass the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD)!

National Call on the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities

• Wednesday, July 23rd, 1:00 p.m. Eastern
• Dial: 1-800-920-7487
• Code: 4837166#
• CART

Big News

CRPD Successfully Passed Out of the Foreign Relations Committee Tuesday, July 23!

Yesterday, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee voted the Disability Treaty out of committee! We’ve crossed this difficult hurdle but we are running out of time!

We need a floor vote now! Senator Menendez and the disability, veterans, business, and faith communities are not willing to throw in the towel, but your actions in the next week are crucial to gaining the support we need.

Take part in three events this week to help us cross the finish line!

Veteran Press Conference: Join Senators Dole, McCain, Ayotte, Kirk and Harkin as well as leading veteran organizations to hear why veterans support the disability treaty!

• Wednesday, July 23rd, 10:30 a.m. Eastern
• Dirksen 430

National Call on CRPD: Join advocates from around the country for a final national call to learn what you can do to pass the CRPD!

• Wednesday, July 23rd, 1:00 p.m. Eastern

National Rally on CRPD: Join advocates from across the country for a rally on the National Mall for CRPD! Watch for more details coming soon. If you’re not located in DC, you can take part by visiting your Senators in-state offices and expressing your support!

• Tuesday, July 29th, 12:45 p.m. Eastern

Your Senators need to continue to hear from you and understand that you support the CRPD! Show the community is behind this treaty and that we want the process to keep moving forward to a Floor vote!

Senator Reid also needs to hear from us that we want a floor vote now!

Visit USICD’s citizen action portal: disabilitytreaty.org, to call your Senators! They must hear from the Independent Living Movement now or we will not succeed.

Source: US International Council on Disabilities (USICD)

You made a difference! Now is the time to get the CRPD Ratified!

Thank you to everyone who called their Senators this month and expressed support for the CRPD! Based on your incredible show of support, Senator Menendez, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, has scheduled a mark-up of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) for Tuesday, July 22, 2014!

Treaty opponents continue to use scare tactics to frighten people over fictitious dangers. We must each share the truth with our Senators!

Your Senators need to continue to hear from you and understand that you support the CRPD! Visit USICD’s citizen action portal, www.disabilitytreaty.org, to call your Senators!

They need to hear from the Independent Living Movement now, or we will not succeed. We must show that our community is behind this treaty and that we want the process to keep moving forward to a floor vote!

We cannot stop now. The word is watching.

Source: US International Council on Disabilities

We need to sound the alarm across the Senate to free the treaty now! Let your Senator know this release of the treaty must occur!

This time of the year is significant to all the disability community. We have just celebrated the anniversary of Olmstead and soon it will be the anniversary of the ADA.

Tell your Senator this week at 4th of July picnics, parades, town-halls. Call often in July and spread the word: We will not wait any longer. The time is now!

Visit www.disabilitytreaty.org to take action!

Senator Harkin needs our help advancing the dialogue on the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD)!

The advocacy for ratification of the CRPD continues in Washington, DC, but our message will only be successful if it is delivered by you. NCIL members are part of the strongest and most effective grassroots network the disability community has.

Senator Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) needs our help as he works for ratification over the next few weeks. Senator Harkin, our community’s most steadfast ally, needs your stories about what the CRPD means to you and your community. The power of your everyday stories is critical to ratification.

Senator Harkin has created a video that contains information on the CRPD and a request that you send your stories about travel, study, or work around the world so that he may share these stories with Congress. If you have ever traveled, studied, or worked abroad, or if you tried to travel, study, or work abroad but encountered barriers, please consider sharing your story.

Share this message with your family, co-workers, and other community members who may be interested, and use the hashtags #ADAfortheworld or #DisabilitiesTreaty on social media.  [Read more…]