Washington, DC – U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-MD), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and Senate Chair of the U.S. Helsinki Commission, called today for Senate ratification of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD). The United States has already established strong support for the rights of people with disabilities through the Americans with Disabilities Act and ratification of the CRPD would provide an opportunity to advance these values worldwide.

“The United States has long been a leader in the support of human rights, both at home and abroad. The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities represents an opportunity to extend that leadership internationally by empowering and protecting the rights of people with disabilities. As a long-time advocate for civil and human rights, I believe this Convention is a strong symbol of America’s continued commitment to justice for all.”

The CRPD empowers persons with disabilities to be independent, to claim personal responsibility for their own lives, and to be able to make their own choices.