Urge Ur U.S. Senators to ratify the UN CRPD

Audism Free America (AFA) encourages individuals to contact their Senators (see http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm/ to find your US senator) urging them to support the ratification of the UN CRPD (see http://www.un.org/disabilities/convention/conventionfull.shtml).  While AFA recognizes that "disability" is not how many Deaf people self-identify and that the whole notion of people being "DISabled" is a social construct, we also recognize that many Deaf children are routinely denied the right to a fully natural and accessible language and humanity in the quest for "normalcy."  The UN CRPD aims to ensure justice and equality for Deaf infants, youth and adults in areas of expression, access, education, employment and more.  Presently the U.S. is trailing far behind many other nations in the ratification process.  Please help ensure that the US remains abreast with treating all its citizens as civilized nations should.

Feel free to copy, paste, and ADD YOUR OWN NAME at the bottom and send to your two US senators.  Thank you in advance for combatting audism.
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22 July 2012

Greetings Dear Senator:

We urge you to support the ratification of the United Nation Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disability (UN CRPD) because presently all over the globe Deaf children are denied what children from all walks are life are regularly given freely and openly: access to language and equality.  We most especially support the following provisions in the UN CONVENTION ON THE RIGHTS OF PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES:

Article 21 - Freedom of expression and opinion, and access to information

States Parties shall take all appropriate measures to ensure that persons with disabilities can exercise the right to freedom of expression and opinion, including the freedom to seek, receive and impart information and ideas on an equal basis with others and through all forms of communication of their choice, as defined in article 2 of the present Convention, including by:

b. Accepting and facilitating the use of sign languages, Braille, augmentative and alternative communication, and all other accessible means, modes and formats of communication of their choice by persons with disabilities in official interactions;

e. Recognizing and promoting the use of sign languages

Article 24 - Education

3. States Parties shall enable persons with disabilities to learn life and social development skills to facilitate their full and equal participation in education and as members of the community. To this end, States Parties shall take appropriate measures, including:

b. Facilitating the learning of sign language and the promotion of the linguistic identity of the deaf community;

Article 30 - Participation in cultural life, recreation, leisure and sport

4. Persons with disabilities shall be entitled, on an equal basis with others, to recognition and support of their specific cultural and linguistic identity, including sign languages and deaf culture.

Thank you again for your attention to this important matter.  Every child deserves to have full and natural access to language.  A Deaf mind is a horrible thing to waste. 

We hope the U.S. will join the other civilized nations of this world and ratify this important convention in a step toward guaranteeing the rights of ALL individuals that we, as Americans, have pledged to uphold.

Let Freedom Roll,