In October, the Disability Treaty Needs Your Help to be called for a vote by U.S. Legislators!

as shared by the United States International Council on Disabilities
*as a sidenote I watched Senator Harkin's sincere, and moving motion on the U.S. Senate for the Disability Treaty to be called for a vote, It was moving and inspirational. For full text
Jim at Ability Chicago

We need your help in October!

Yesterday, Senator Harkin went onto the Senate floor to ask for a vote for the 

Disability Treaty.

Unfortunately, he was opposed by Senator Mike Lee of Utah, and a vote was not taken.

The Senate recesses THIS Friday, and will return November 12th -- for the FINAL session of the year. We need your help to ensure CRPD receives a vote upon the Senate's return!

From now on, if Senators are not willing to commit to supporting the treaty, but are not willing to state specific concerns and work to resolve them with new RUD language, then we must count them as opposed to the Treaty!

The opposition continues to generate calls, and your Senators need to hear from you THROUGHOUT the recess that the community supports this issue.   

CALL often and spread the word!  Attend town halls and candidate forums!

Tell them we will NOT WAIT any longer:
 The time is NOW!! 

 

Visit www.disabilitytreaty.org 

to take action!

ADAPT visiting Senator Boozman's office in Arkansas to advocate for the CRPD.

  

For Immediate Release:                              

Contact: Kevin Locke, U.S. International Council on Disabilities                    

klocke@usicd.org, (202) 359-6960

  

SENATOR HARKIN (D-IA) REQUESTS UNANIMOUS CONSENT FOR DISABILITY TREATY, BUT SENATOR MIKE LEE (R-UT) OBJECTS

USICD President Marca Bristo says because of a well-funded campaign of misinformation waged by the fringe opposition, some senators do not support.

Senator Tom Harkin said this afternoon from the Senate floor, "This is another sad, irresponsible day in the history of the United States Senate."  This statement came after his request for unanimous consent on the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities or Disability Treaty, was objected to by Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah), citing  disproved concerns about US sovereignty.

This latest action by the right falls on the heels of the United Nations statement on September 16, that Guyana became the 150^th nation to ratify the treaty.  Of the 158 countries that have signed the treaty, only eight have still to ratify it.  Unfortunately-and conspicuously--the United State is one of them.

President of the US International Council on Disabilities Marca Bristo said, "We are tremendously grateful to Senator Harkin for his continued fight to ratify the treaty, alongside more than 800 disability organizations, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, businesses, veterans groups, human and civil rights groups, and faith organizations.  This is the American mainstream.  It is disappointing that some senators do not support it due to a well-funded campaign of misinformation waged by a fringe opposition.  We are united in demanding that senators put aside politics and irrational, fear-based arguments advocated by extremists on the right." 

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