Today was the first of two hearings on the
Convention for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities conducted by the United
States Foreign Relations Committee. The hearing went for approximately two and
a half hours. Both sides of the issue were equally given time to present their
argument. Senator Robert Menendez of New Jersey did a fine job proceeding over the
hearings.
My the previous blog laid out my position on the treaty as well as the position of approximately twenty-six prominent disabled organizations in the U.S. As I sat and watched the hearings that were broadcast life on C-Span something struck me. Regardless of where one falls in regards to the treaty, the disabled community can only see the hearings as a positive. Not since 1990 has the disabled community’s needs been put front and center. Twenty + years ago this quiet segment of society was given a voice and a great voice that allowed such platforms like this blog to exist.
Amongst all the debates over how the U.S. was going to be affected by the treaty I kept hearing one theme. The U.S. and the ADA are the gold standards in disability rights. For the first time in a long time, American was acknowledging the positive impact we had made on the world. We might disagree on such issues as how big government should be or even what roles government should play in our lives, but for this one day, we were able to put aside differences and civilly debate an issue. On both sides of the issue, there were bipartisan contingencies. Democrats and Republicans were supporting the treaty as well as forcing their opinion against it. Between all the battling, over whether a United States individual’s right to be homeschooled would be affected I heard one important thing. No one out loud said it but it was still there. The importance of disability and individuals with disabilities, which was not recognized 20 years ago, was again at the forefront of the American political arena today.
I could get into all the arguments that took place over adding or subtracting political Ruts that would protect America’s laws, but that is not the point of this blog entry. Although this blog entry is going to be fairly short compared to the other postings I simply wanted to write to express my great thanks to the Foreign Relations Committee for even discussing disability rights on a major stage. I hope that they do pass the treaty because I am a firm believer that the billion people with disabilities worldwide deserve at least the same quality of life that their able-bodied counterparts get, in whichever country they live in. I understand both sides, but as these supporters said while the hearings closed, “America is a great and powerful nation. We are the best example of disability rights out there. This would be a great way to extend our leadership without negative influence on the international community.” Whether you agree with my opinion or not, one cannot disagree with the point that today and the hearings next week are the beginnings of what can be a great time for disability rights in America and the world.
P.S.: For those who missed the hearings today you can view an archived video session on C-Span’s website or on the Foreign Relations Committee website. You can also keep in mind that the second round of hearings will occur next Tuesday. For those who are not familiar with the Political process these hearings do not signify the United States’ ratification of the treaty rather they are just the first procedural step required to eventually bring the issue of treaty ratification to the floor.
My the previous blog laid out my position on the treaty as well as the position of approximately twenty-six prominent disabled organizations in the U.S. As I sat and watched the hearings that were broadcast life on C-Span something struck me. Regardless of where one falls in regards to the treaty, the disabled community can only see the hearings as a positive. Not since 1990 has the disabled community’s needs been put front and center. Twenty + years ago this quiet segment of society was given a voice and a great voice that allowed such platforms like this blog to exist.
Amongst all the debates over how the U.S. was going to be affected by the treaty I kept hearing one theme. The U.S. and the ADA are the gold standards in disability rights. For the first time in a long time, American was acknowledging the positive impact we had made on the world. We might disagree on such issues as how big government should be or even what roles government should play in our lives, but for this one day, we were able to put aside differences and civilly debate an issue. On both sides of the issue, there were bipartisan contingencies. Democrats and Republicans were supporting the treaty as well as forcing their opinion against it. Between all the battling, over whether a United States individual’s right to be homeschooled would be affected I heard one important thing. No one out loud said it but it was still there. The importance of disability and individuals with disabilities, which was not recognized 20 years ago, was again at the forefront of the American political arena today.
I could get into all the arguments that took place over adding or subtracting political Ruts that would protect America’s laws, but that is not the point of this blog entry. Although this blog entry is going to be fairly short compared to the other postings I simply wanted to write to express my great thanks to the Foreign Relations Committee for even discussing disability rights on a major stage. I hope that they do pass the treaty because I am a firm believer that the billion people with disabilities worldwide deserve at least the same quality of life that their able-bodied counterparts get, in whichever country they live in. I understand both sides, but as these supporters said while the hearings closed, “America is a great and powerful nation. We are the best example of disability rights out there. This would be a great way to extend our leadership without negative influence on the international community.” Whether you agree with my opinion or not, one cannot disagree with the point that today and the hearings next week are the beginnings of what can be a great time for disability rights in America and the world.
P.S.: For those who missed the hearings today you can view an archived video session on C-Span’s website or on the Foreign Relations Committee website. You can also keep in mind that the second round of hearings will occur next Tuesday. For those who are not familiar with the Political process these hearings do not signify the United States’ ratification of the treaty rather they are just the first procedural step required to eventually bring the issue of treaty ratification to the floor.
