I need your advocacy with Illinois Senator Kirk and this is very easy to do! We want him to support the ratification of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.We understand that Senator Kirk is leaning to the positive side of supporting ratification of this treaty and Senator Durbin is already in support.   Please contact him and urge him to support ratification of the CRPD.  If we can get enough support, there is a chance that the treaty could go to the floor for a vote when Congress returns in September.
 
Please activate your personal network to contact Senator Kirk.  The opposition has been using social media and we encourage supporters to do the same.
 
Here are some useful tips to help you with Twitter and Facebook from

The US International Council on Disability:

TWITTER

  • Important: Use #CRPD to weigh in on your message of support for the CRPD!
  • Tweet directly  to Senator Kirk using the @ symbol and his twitter address. Here is Senator Kiri’s twitter address: @SenatorKirk or You can find Senator Kirkss’ twitter address by going to his website (found here) and looking for the Twitter symbol.
  • Keep your message short, to the point and POSITIVE!
  • Don’t know what to write?  Try: please suport ratification of the @CRPD!
  • Don’t just post once and walk away – come back again later that day and for days after and keep tweeting! It only takes a few seconds but the impact is tremendous!
  • Ask your friends and family to tweet and re-tweet!    
  • Re-tweet your friends and family!
  • Ideas for messages:
  • Dear @(your Senator’s twitter address here) Please support ratification of the #CRPD!
  • @(your Senator’s twitter address here) Support the #CRPD.  This is a #disability issue!
  •  @(your Senator’s twitter address here) I am a (describe your connection to the community ex. parent of a child with a #disability, person with a #disability, friend of people with #disabilities) and I support the #CRPD.  Please do the same!

 FACEBOOK 

  • Visit your Senator Kirk’s Facebook page and post positive messages about supporting the CRPD.  You can find Senator Kirks’s Facebook page by clicking here.
  • Choose a time when you know a lot of your friends and family are on Facebook to post so that more people have the chance to share.
  • Ask people to Share and Like your links to spread the word about supporting the CRPD.
  • Link to USICD’s CRPD Updates page and choose the CRPD “Ratify Yes!” sticker as the image.
  • Look through the USICD CRPD Updates page and check out some of the letters of support on the right side of the page, “News and Calls for Ratification” on the bottom of the page, and video clips in the middle of the page.  Write your positive comments about them and share them as a link.    
  • Keep your messages positive!


Tony Paulauski
Executive Director
The Arc of Illinois
20901 S. LaGrange Rd. Suite 209
Frankfort, IL 60423
815-464-1832 (OFFICE)
815-464-1832 (CELL)
Tony@www.thearcofil.org