http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/opinion/2008015343_disabop25.html
"A treaty that takes effect this month could benefit one quarter of
humanity: the 650 million people, as well as their families, who live
with disabilities. The U.N. International Treaty on the Rights of
People with Disabilities is also the first international treaty that
guarantees the rights of such people to equality and self-determination.
People with disabilities are the world's largest minority, yet the
United Nations reports that only 45 countries have disability-rights
laws.
The U.S. has not signed the treaty, either, but it should. ...
In far too many nations, people with disabilities lack rights to
vote, work, marry, own property, sign contracts or retain custody of
their children. Ninety percent of children with disabilities in
less-developed nations receive no education. ...
The treaty enshrines important principles that Americans hold dear:
nondiscrimination, equal protection under the law and the right to
autonomy and independent living in integrated, community settings. ...
We know that our society is richer for — and that everyone benefits
from — including people with disabilities in schools, housing,
workplaces, voting booths, houses of worship, public accommodations and
every other sphere of life. ..."
