Excerpt from Planet of the Blind: (click for entire article)
In 2009, Fifth Freedom reported that President Obama signed the United Nations' Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. On Thursday, May 17, the Convention was finally sent to the Senate for approval.
By adopting the Convention, the United States would join more than 140 other countries in committing themselves to protecting the rights of people with disabilities, passing laws and regulations to improve the quality of life for people with disabilities, and repealing any laws that might lead to discrimination.
Article 1 of the Convention states that its purpose is to "promote, protect and ensure the full and equal enjoyment of all human rights and fundamental freedoms by all persons with disabilities, and to promote respect for their inherent dignity".
Among others, the rights of people with disabilities described in the Convention include:
Living independently
Being included in the community
Personal mobility
Education
Health
Participation in political and public life
Participation in cultural life, recreation, leisure and sports
The right to accessible public transportation


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