December 4th, 2012 was a devastating day for the disability community when the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) lost by a mere five votes.
- Background: see summaries of last December’s events from the Washington Post or John Stewart.
This summer, President Obama, Secretary Kerry, Senator McCain, former Republican Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, and the community have all expressed their desire to see the treaty ratified.
When U.S. Senators return to their offices in DC, we are going to make sure that they know the treaty is important to the disability community and its allies and it is time to move it forward.
Petition
We can and we will get the treaty ratified in 2013 but we need you now. Join the petition to add your voice to the conversation. We’ll make sure that Senators see your support when it is delivered to them in September!
CRPD Twitter Campaign and the March on Washington
The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights (@civilrightsorg) is launching their Twitter campaign for the treaty today in line with the 50th Anniversary of the March on Washington (#MOW2013).
Please follow them and Tweet/ReTweet. Make sure you use both the #CRPD or #DisabilitiesTreaty hashtag with #MOW2013 to get the most people seeing your Tweet!
Sample Tweets:
- People w disabilities deserve #DisabilitiesTreaty 4 more access, independence & respect worldwide! RT if you support #CRPD #MOW2013
- Tell @SenBobCorker and @SenatorMenendez we need #DisabilitiesTreaty 4 more access, independence & respect worldwide! #CRPD #MOW2013
- If you support equal rights & access for 1 billion people w disabilities around the world, tell the Senate to ratify #DisabilitiesTreaty #CRPD #MOW2013
- I join @civilrightsorg @usicd in supporting #DisabilitiesTreaty to uphold the dream of equality for all people #MarchonWashington #MOW2013
