The Obama Administration Will Sign The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities

As it was planned President Barack Obama declared his administration's intent to sign the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities today. The actual signing will take place in New York at the end of July.

This signature has several implications. Most importantly, President Obama kept his campaign promise and considers people with disabilities, which was also shown in the Recovery Act. Also, the United States is sending a message to the world that it is a convention that the country agrees with, is willing to be among the nations which will make a commitment to abolish discrimination and create equal rights for people with disabilities, thus making an effort to regain its global leadership in the area of disability rights and legislation.

However, signing the Convention in reality means theoretical agreement, in order to fully commit to it, the United States will need to ratify it. President Obama is asking the Senate to begin the ratification process. When the Convention will be ratified, the United States will be obliged to update its legislation to reflect the Convention. Among the many updates, the accessibility of information and communication technology will have to be extended to the private industry, as opposed to only the Federal Government where it is ensured by Section 508.

For countries which have ratified the convention, check the inaccessible map on the UN site. You can also read the list of countries which signed or ratified the convention.