Jul 30, 2009
President Obama Marks the Anniversary of the ADA by Pledging to Sign the 1st International Treaty on Disability Rights
On July 24, President Obama marked the 19th anniversary of the landmark Americans with Disabilities Act, which barred discrimination against people with disabilities, by announcing the intent of the United States to sign the International Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD). The purpose of the CRPD is to promote, protect and ensure the full and equal enjoyment of all human rights and fundamental freedoms by all persons with disabilities, and to promote respect for their inherent dignity.
Invited to be a part of the select audience for this historic moment was Joyce Nelson, the president and CEO of the Society. Representing the international MS community, Nelson said, “By adding the United States to the list of 140 nations supporting this Convention, the President has taken an important step toward recognizing the inherent rights of all people living with chronic disease and disability. We are proud to join our international partners in the disability movement, including the Multiple Sclerosis International Federation, and be counted among the citizens of the world in this important effort.”
When discussing the significance of what will be the first human rights convention of the 21st century, President Obama remarked how he often thought of his father-in-law, Frasier Robinson, who provided for his family despite the challenges he faced because of MS. “He just wanted to be given the opportunity to do right by his family,” Obama noted.
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton also extolled the UN treaty which asks all nations to guarantee the civil rights of all persons with disabilities worldwide using the ADA as their model. The President advised that he has instructed U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice to sign the treaty and urge every country around the world to do the same.
There are an estimated 650 million people, 54 million in the U.S. alone, who live with a disability. This is 10 percent of the world’s population.