Photo: © UNICEF/NYHQ2012-1940/Marco Dormino. Haiti, 2012: Two-year-old Diasline Joseph, seated

in a wheelchair, laughs while playing with a caretaker at New Life Centre, a residential care facility in

Port-au-Prince, the capital. Her mother died when Diasline was 16 months old, after which her father

waived his custodial rights of her and left her at the centre; he has never visited her since.

U.S. NGO AND CIVIL SOCIETY STATEMENT OF SUPPORT FOR THE

CONVENTION ON THE RIGHTS OF PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES (CRPD)

We welcome the re-introduction of the

disability treaty, the Convention on the

Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD).

This treaty has bipartisan support within the

Senate, with Republican support from

Senators Barrasso (WY), McCain (AZ),

Ayotte (NH), and Kirk (IL) and Democratic

support from Senators Menendez (NJ),

Harkin (IA), and Durbin (IL).

With 138 ratifications around the world, the

CRPD is making a real impact on the lives of

over 1 billion people with disabilities. Over

80% of the world’s disability population

lives in the developing nations where

InterAction member organizations work.

The disability treaty is an important tool in

order for these countries to enact their own

disability rights legislation and policies to

ensure the equality and inclusion of all

people with disabilities.

It is essential that the U.S. ratifies the CRPD

in order to maintain our leadership on

disability issues and to contribute to critical

policy and legislative developments aimed

at eroding disability discrimination

throughout the world.

Our mission is to achieve a peaceful, just

and prosperous world of nations with

inclusive and sustainable societies. We work

to eliminate extreme poverty, uphold

human rights, safeguard a sustainable

planet and ensure human dignity for poor

and vulnerable populations worldwide by

elevating and advancing the goals of the

U.S.-based international nonprofit

community. U.S. participation in the

implementation of the CRPD abroad will

play an important role in the future of the

world’s disabled population.

We look forward to continuing to work with

members of Congress and the

Administration to support this treaty and

disability rights around the world.

Disability Rights Education and

Defense Fund

Helen Keller International

American Jewish World Service

Handicap International

CARE USA

HelpAge USA

IFES

Life for Relief & Development

USA

Action Against Hunger

AMREF

Basic Education Coalition

Better World Campaign

Bethesda Lutheran

Communities

CBM

EDC

Heartland Alliance

International Youth Foundation

International Medical Corps

Management Sciences for

Health

American Red Cross

Lutheran Services in America

Good360

BRAC

Feed the Children

InterAction

Trickle Up Program, Inc.

U.S. Fund for UNICEF

Save the Children

Perkins International

United Cerebral Palsy

RESULTS

Women’s Refugee Commission

World Learning

The Hunger Project

ReSurge International

Refugees International

Medical Care Development

Mobility International

ONE

Operation USA

SEVA Foundation

U.S. International Council on

Disabilities

Water for South Sudan

Winrock International

World Concern

World Neighbors

WaterAid

Unitarian Universalist Service

Committee

Oxfam America

WellShare International