|
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 21, 2013
Statement from Secretary Shinseki on
the Disabilities Treaty
WASHINGTON -- Ratification of the
Disabilities Treaty is important to our Nation's 5.5 million disabled
Veterans.
Ratification of the Disabilities Treaty is not about
changing America. It’s about helping the rest of the world raise
their accessibility standards to the gold standard the United States
has set through our ADA. Ratification will help reinforce
America’s global leadership role and reputation, putting us in the
strongest position to advance disability rights worldwide.
By joining the treaty, we will be helping the 5.5
million Veterans with disabilities and the 50 million Americans with
disabilities study and work with dignity and pursue greater opportunity
abroad with the same access they enjoy at home.
I served for roughly 10 years in Europe as a disabled
Soldier following my tours in Vietnam. During that time, I had to
learn to walk and run again. I had to convince the Army that I
could continue to serve, and learn to adjust to a new reality. I
recall the absence of aids for the disabled in many places where I
served-ramps, lifts, automatic door openers, among other devices that
are commonly available in this country.
Our disabled Veterans and service members have put their
trust in our country. Now, it’s time for our country to put its
trust in them. It’s time to ratify the Disabilities Treaty.
I urge the Senate to approve the Treaty this year.
|
A lofty and noble cause, surely, but I have to ask, “What’s
this going to cost us?” If you read between the lines just a little bit, you
start hearing the alarm bells going off and the red flags popping up. Is this
really something our Government needs to be doing right now? The best way to
help disabled people the World over is to stop producing them!
No comments:
Post a Comment