Americans are entitled to equal opportunity as citizens of the United States. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) guarantees equal opportunity for individuals with disabilities in employment, public accommodations, transportation, state and local government services and telecommunications. When an employer or organization is in violation of the ADA, complaints can be issued, and action can be taken to correct the infraction. Recently, Wisconsin’s U.S. Senator Ron Johnson has been given a vote that will impact an international treaty that will protect disabled individuals on an international level.
As an American, individuals who endure a disability may have to put any international travel and/or business on hold due to the lack of accommodations abroad. Many disabled veterans are all too familiar with this fact of life. Senator Johnson recently participated in a hearing for the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities United Nations treaty — a treaty that would extend protection of rights for individuals with disabilities on an international level.
Senator Johnson holds one out of seven votes that will impact the treaty, but he is still making his decision, according to sources. If the United States endorses the treaty, disabled veterans may continue to work and travel abroad while remaining protected under the doctrine of the ADA. At the very least, passing the treaty may shed more light and spread awareness to protect disabled individuals’ rights on a global level.
Statistics show that one in five people in Wisconsin have a disability. Many people believe that passing the treaty would have a long-reaching impact, extending to businesses in Wisconsin that have an international footprint. Whether or not the treaty receives the endorsement in the United States, the Americans with Disabilities Act continues to protect individuals with disabilities on a national level.
Source: jsonline.com, Sen. Ron Johnson should support disabilities treaty, Jason Endres, Nov. 25, 2013
