US Finally Signs

The United States has finally signed the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities on Thursday, July 30, 2009 at United Nations headquarters in New York City. Susan Rice, the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations signed the treaty making us the 141st country to do so. It is the first significant piece of human rights legislation of the 21st Century.

This paragraph comes directly from an Associated Press article published on the Los Angeles Times.com website last week.

"We all still have a great deal more to do at home and abroad," Rice said. "As president Obama has noted, people with disabilities far too often lack the choice to live in communities of their own choosing; their unemployment rate is much higher than those without disabilities; they are much more likely to live in poverty; health care is out of reach for far too many; and too many children with disabilities are denied a world class education."

That quote addresses all of the hot button topics of the day; housing, employment, poverty, health care and education. Isn't that interesting? And you thought people with disabilities were so much different than you, he said with tongue planted firmly in cheek.


This picture is from the article and you can read it by clicking here. It's an informative article. I encourage you to read it.

People with disabilities make up the largest minority in the country. As a friend of mine in Berkeley, Michael Pachovas, used to say, "We are the equal opportunity minority. We'll let anybody in."

As always, I look forward to your comments.

Later,

Mike