Contact: Sharon Singh, [email protected], 202.675.8579
(Washington, DC)– Today, Amnesty International USA sent a letter to U.S. Senators Harry Reid and Mitch McConnell in strong support of the United States’ ratification of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (“CRPD”).
The letter reads in part:
“The CRPD affirms and protects the rights of individuals with disabilities, guaranteeing equal treatment and non-discrimination. We urge the Senate to ratify the treaty without delay and without amendments, and to commit to fully implementing the treaty.
The CRPD would ensure equal protection for persons with disabilities, guaranteeing them the rights to accessibility, non-discrimination, and access to liberty and justice, among many other important human rights. One of the key guarantees in the treaty is 'freedom from exploitation, violence and abuse,' which members of the disabled community experience at a disproportionate rate. In the United States in 2010, serious violence (defined as rape/sexual assault, robbery, and aggravated assault) accounted for about 50% of violence against persons with disabilities in the U.S., up from 36% in 2009.”
A copy of the full letter may be found here.
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Amnesty International is a Nobel Peace Prize-winning grassroots activist organization with more than 3 million supporters, activists and volunteers in more than 150 countries campaigning for human rights worldwide. The organization investigates and exposes abuses, educates and mobilizes the public, and works to protect people wherever justice, freedom, truth and dignity are denied.