July 30 was a big day for Dr. Mary Blake Huer, dean of the College of Health Sciences at the University of Indianapolis.
As a member and current president of the International Society for Augmentative and Alternative Communication, a nongovernmental agency that works on behalf of people with speech disabilities, Huer helped to develop the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Years in the making, this landmark human rights document – similar in principle to the Americans with Disabilities Act – prohibits discrimination against disabled people in all facets of life, including civil rights and access to justice, education, health services and transportation.
On July 30, the United States signed the treaty, joining 140 other nations in a move that pertains to 54 million disabled Americans and more than 650 million people worldwide, roughly 10 percent of the planet’s population.
“When the USA signed the treaty, I was inspired that more barriers will be torn down for people with disabilities, and we will continue to aspire to fundamental human rights for all people,” says Huer, who oversees UIndy’s schools of occupational and physical therapy.
In conjunction with the signing, the White House announced a new senior level post at the State Department charged with developing a comprehensive strategy to promote the human rights of persons with disabilities. The move was due in part to efforts by Rehabilitation International, a global advocacy network to which Huer also belongs.
“The USA is now becoming the leader in public diplomacy on disability issues,” Huer says.
See video of July 30 signing ceremony (RealPlayer required)
