L. American states key to U.N. disabled treaty

Numerous Latin American states were among the eighty countries to sign onto the U.N. Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. For instance, Chile‘s government sent their Planning Minister to the treaty signing ceremony and Jamaica became the first country to ratify the treaty. In addition, disabled right activists from around the world were vital in the creation of the convention along with the governments of Ecuador and Mexico.The convention encompasses many issues relating to persons with disabilities including:

“Specifically prohibits discrimination against persons with disabilities in all areas of life… requires that public spaces and buildings be accessible to persons with disabilities, and… recognizes that a change of attitude is vital if disabled people are to achieve equality”.

As of April 5^th, a few countries in the Americas have yet to sign the treaty including Colombia, Cuba, Venezuela, and the U.S.

Links- People's Daily Online, Today’s Zaman, SignOnSanDiego.com, Xinhua, U.N. Enable