DAA - Disability Awareness in Action

USA: Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA): Presidential proclamation and protests against unequal pay

Posted 29/7-11 at 00.47

President Barack Obama issued an official proclamation to celebrate the 21st anniversary of the ADA. He also called for the ratification of the CRPD.

"Through the ADA, America was the first country in the world to comprehensively declare equality for citizens with disabilities. To continue promoting these principles, we have joined in signing the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. At its core, this Convention promotes equality. It seeks to ensure that persons with disabilities enjoy the same rights and opportunities as all people, and are able to lead their lives as do other individuals.

Eventual ratification of this Convention would represent another important step in our forty-plus years of protecting disability rights. It would offer us a platform to encourage other countries to join and implement the Convention."

The anniversary was also marked by widespread protests by disabled people against the proposal before the Senate to establish guidelines that would allow employers to pay disabled people less than the legal minimum wage.

"Unequal pay for equal work on the basis of disability is unfair, discriminatory and immoral," said Marc Maurer, president of the National Federation of the Blind.

http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2011/07/25/presidential-proclamation-anniversary-americans-disabilities-act

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/43902744/ns/local_news-louisville_ky/

http://www.kansas.com/2011/07/27/1949652/pickets-demand-equal-pay-for-disabled.html