Date: Sunday, August 25, 2013
Category: General

In a letter to Senator Robert Menendez, Chair of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, and Senator Robert Corker, ranking Republican member, RESNA voiced strong support for passage of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD). Supporters are urging the Foreign Relations Committee to approve the treaty for a vote by the Senate during the current session. 

The treaty, signed by President Obama in 2009, obligates ratifying nations to promote, protect, fulfill and ensure the rights of people with disabilities. Over 150 countries have already ratified the treaty, which has yet to pass the U.S. Senate. In a heartbreaking vote last December, the treaty fell just a few votes shy of ratification. 

The letter, signed by RESNA President Alex Mihailidis and Government Affairs Committee Chair Nathan Moon, states that with the passage of the American with Disabilities Act over two decades ago, "...the United States has set an example for other nations to follow."  The letter points out that "...RESNA members are involved with the development of international standards which ensure the safety and efficacy of technology for people with disabilities," and cites examples of wheelchair development projects in places like Central America, Thailand, and the nation of Georgia. 

"Opening world markets to American-developed technology for people with disabilities is a win-win situation," something the Convention would make easier, and the letter concludes with "We urge the members of your Committee and the full Senate to vote in favor of it."

For information on the CRPD treaty, visit the U.S. International Council on Disabilities website. 

To read RESNA's statement expressing "profound disappointment" when the U.S. Senate failed to ratify the treaty last year, click here.