Commentary
U.S. Disgrace at UN Signing Ceremony
Representatives from U.S.
skip the landmark
launching of the UN Convention
on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
by John A. Lancaster
On March 30, 2007, 82 countries
signed the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with
Disabilities. The United States did not. The following letter, written
last month by John Lancaster, Executive Director of the National Council
on Independent Living (NCIL), describes his powerful and emotional
experience at the March signing ceremony. In the letter, Lancaster
encourages us to take action in response to U.S. inaction and disgrace
by writing our Members of Congress and President Bush to urge that the U.S. sign
and ratify the Convention.
New York–[On March 30th,] as President of the United States
International Council on Disability (USICD) and Executive Director
of NCIL, I had the honor to represent both organizations at the United
Nations as a witness to the initial signing of the UN Convention on
the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. As I sat in the observers’ area
on the floor of the UN’s General Assembly Hall, delegates from
80 nations and the European Community took their turn at the official
signing table to commit their country to the human and civil rights
of people with disabilities. At several points, my eyes welled with
tears. They should have been tears of joy and pride as an American,
as a citizen in the country that had created this world-wide movement
for the rights and empowerment of people with disabilities. Instead,
they were tears of shame and embarrassment in being an American.
I do not relate these
feelings to you, my friends and colleagues in the Independent Living
Movement, lightly or as a passive observer. Almost 40 years ago,
I acquired my spinal cord injury as a Marine Platoon Commander in
combat just east of Hue City, Viet Nam. I had become a Marine out
of a Kennedy-era-inspired desire to defend my country and the principles
for which we stand “that all men are created equal
with certain unalienable rights; Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of
Happiness.” Following law school, I dedicated my career to these
principles as they pertain to people with disabilities. I was proud
to work with many great Americans, many with disabilities, as part
of a great movement for the rights, empowerment and independent living
for all. The United States for many years took the world-wide lead
with passage of Title V of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and then
the Americans with Disabilities Act and many other great laws ensuring
the rights and inclusion of people with disabilities. From 1995 to
2004, I traveled many times to and then lived for four years in Viet
Nam. There, I assisted Vietnamese with disabilities and their government
in establishing similar principles, laws and policies within the context
of their
“Our country did not even
have the courage to seat a representative . . . at our country
table or . . . comment . . . as to why the country of the
ADA was not signing on to the Convention. I [was not] proud
to be an American.”
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political system. I had always
been proud of my efforts in this movement and especially of my country’s
world leadership. For the last six years, that national pride has
given way to shame, embarrassment and anger; it culminated for me
emotionally last Friday during the Convention Signing Ceremony.
The UN General Assembly
Hall was full; the observer galleries were packed with disabled advocates
from around the world; and delegations from UN member nations huddled
behind their respective desks and country signs. After initial speeches,
one by one in alphabetical order, the delegations from the various
signing nations filed to the ceremonial table to sign the treaty
books. In some cases, it was that country’s
ambassador to the UN. In the case of Ecuador, Vice President Lenin
Moreno Garces, a wheelchair user, signed. Even the countries who were
not signing at least had representatives from their UN Mission present
and sitting at their country table out of respect for the UN processes
and the historic importance of the occasion—all but the United
States.
For the past several years of UN discussion, debate and negotiations
that led to this historic day, the United States had been generally
not present. When towards the end we did begin to participate, it was
generally contrary and negative in nature. And then, on this truly
historic day when we could have resumed continued leadership for rights
for people with disabilities, the United States thumbed our noses in
insolent arrogance at the United Nations, the signing countries, and
the six hundred fifty million disabled people of the
world. Our country
did not even have the courage to seat a representative from our Mission
to the UN at our country table or to make any sort of official comment
or explanation as to why the country of the ADA was not signing on
to the Convention. I was not proud to be an American. I was ashamed
of my country and of myself for letting it happen. Please join me
in recommitting ourselves as advocates and leaders to human rights,
empowerment and independent living for all peoples of the world.
Write your Senators and President Bush today urging that the U.S.
sign and ratify the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. ![]()
