By Matthew Russell Lee
UNITED NATIONS, June 9 -- As the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities' state parties begin meeting at the UN this week, Inner City Press on June 9 asked about the United States not ratifying the CRPD, and UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon still not even issuing a long promised “Bulletin on Accessibility.”
Kenya's Permanent Representative to the UN Macharia Kamau said - as he pointed out he told Inner City Press a full year ago - that it is the US government that should be asked. He added that even without signing on, the US has done amazing things.
The UN's Akiko Ito, filling in for Daniela Bas, admitted that the UN Secretariat still hasn't issued the Bulletin on Accessibility. She called it “imminent” - but that's what the UN Office of the Spokesperson told Inner City Press months ago. Where's the beef?
In the June 9 press conference, Zahra Nemati, Iran’s Para-Olympian archery gold medalist in hte London 2012 Paralympic Games told her story, of a spinal injury while engaging in sports for a time precluding her from continuing, and concluded, in English, don't surrender or give in to disability. She said, “Now that's a law.”
Footnote: Called on first for once, Inner City Press thanked the panelists on behalf of the Free UN Coalition for Access -- including accessibility. As we reported on June 6, it was suggested to the representative of old UN Correspondents Association, which usually claims the first question whether or not it will result in any news report, that it simply offer thanks “from the journalists,” and FUNCA would stand down. But they insisted on branding as UNCA - even as they do not defend even their own money-paying members, must less anyone else. We'll have more on this.
