UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities

I found this petition on the website of "ConventionYes!":

Petition

I support the full and universal recognition of the human rights of people with disabilities under national and international law.

I am concerned about the current track record of abuses against people with disabilities in all parts of the world. I am alarmed by forced institutionalization and troubled by the lack of international standards for inclusion in voting, housing, education, transportation, emergency assistance and other sectors.

I support current efforts to create a UN treaty, called a Convention, to protect the human rights of people with disabilities.

I believe it is important that all nations support the UN convention process, sign and ratify the resulting treaty and fully comply with all international standards protecting the rights of people with disabilities.

I urge decision-makers at all national and international levels to support the UN Convention process.

You can support this effort by signing the petition at http://www.conventionyes.org/content.cfm?id=585C76

Putting a Human Face on the Health Care Issue

I ran across this website today http://www.joonpowell.info/tenncare.html.

I bring it to your attention NOT because I have any comment on the health care crisis in Tennessee -- I have not made a study of the issues involved.

Rather I think these photos and their captions are a stark reminder of the fact that real people are harmed every day by a lack of access to health care.

Additionally, it seems self evident that the group that is harmed the most often and the most severely by lack of access to health care are those citizens with disabilities.