It was hard to find many liberal sites asking folks to call senators - mean while the right is set to derail this, just like everything else. They fear we will lose our sovereignty?????
Even when the United Nations sets out to do the right thing, it can count on a skeptical response in the U.S. That's happening now, as the Senate prepares to consider a U.N. treaty upholding the rights of people with disabilities.
The treaty is based on existing U.S. law. Its advocates argue convincingly that nothing in the U.S. would need to change as a result of the treaty's adoption. It would not affect the federal budget in any significant way. It would not raise costs in schools or workplaces.
It would, however, bring about significant changes abroad. The treaty, already ratified by more than 100 nations, seeks to establish international standards based on practices pioneered in the U.S. It provides a framework for countries to enact and enforce legislation that enables those with disabilities to live more independently, with greater dignity.
Ratifying this treaty would show that the U.S. remains committed to lead on access for the disabled. The U.S. has been leading since Congress passed the Americans with Disabilities Act in 1990. Though there was great concern at the time about the cost of implementing the ADA, the law has helped to establish that providing access to the disabled is good for society ... and good for commerce. More than 50 million Americans, and an estimated 10 percent of the world population, live with disabilities.
The wheelchair ramps, sidewalk cutouts and handicapped parking that have become part of the landscape in the U.S. are practically unknown in many parts of the world. Disabled Americans traveling overseas often encounter severe obstacles. In developing countries, children with disabilities go without even simple accommodations.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/editorials/ct-edit-disability-1204-jm-20121204,0,4272312.story