Ratification of the Convention on the rights of people with disabilities by the United States as a means to advance the power of ADA in the United States

There are an estimated 1 billion people living with disability worldwide, including 100 million children.  Despite these numbers, persons with disabilities are largely excluded from equitable access to resources such as education, employment, healthcare and social and legal support systems. Further, they experience disproportionately high rates of poverty and abuse. In response to the treatment of persons with disabilities, the United Nations (UN) formed the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) to encourage governments to commit to improving the safety and wellbeing of people with disabilities.  Per the UN report, as of February 2013, 193 countries had ratified the CRC and 127 countries and the European Union had ratified the CRPD. The United States however, has not ratified CRPD. The opposition to CRPD within the US suggests a lack of awareness about pervasive disability inequities still present in the US despite the ADA and suggests a gross misunderstanding about CRPD and its specific articles. Disability rights activists claim that ratification of CRPD in the US has the potential to promote much needed advancement in disability justice within the US particularly in the areas of access to education, and healthcare as well as offering stronger protections against abuse of persons with disabilities. As we reflect on and celebrate the 25th anniversary of the passage of ADA, it is important to consider CRPD as a vital mechanism to strengthen and promote further advances in the utility of the ADA in the United States.