Source The U.S Department of State
Spokesperson Ned Price leads the Department Press Briefing, at the Department of State, on July 26, 2022.
Media www.rajawalisiber.com – Let’s start with one element at the top, and that is today we celebrate the 32nd anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, or ADA – the world’s first comprehensive civil rights law for persons with disabilities. The ADA inspires the world to see disability through a lens of equity and expands opportunities for persons with disabilities to fully and proudly contribute to global progress.
Disability rights are human rights, and ensuring that persons with disabilities can participate in all aspects of society is a priority of this administration. We recognize how disability adds strength through diversity in the fabric of our communities around the globe.
As a landmark U.S. law, the ADA sparked an international shift from viewing persons with disabilities as objects of charity to individuals with rights who are valuable members of society. This perspective serves as a beacon to the more than 1 billion persons with disabilities worldwide – that’s one in every seven of us.
Special Advisor on International Disability Rights Sara Minkara is at the forefront of our efforts to protect the rights of persons, and she travels around the world to disrupt the narrative of disability from a charity-based model to one that is value-based.
At the State Department, we strive to be a model for a workplace of diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility, where all employees are treated with respect. This administration has emphasized this commitment through Executive Order 14035, in which accessibility has been embedded as a core pillar in reflecting, respecting, and advancing our diversity.
As the Secretary’s Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer Ambassador Gina Abercrombie-Winstanley has affirmed, we don’t limit our recognition of disability pride or commitment to disability inclusion to one day or to one month – we strive to recognize these important issues every single day.
This ADA anniversary, we recommit to shaping a future in which persons with disabilities enjoy all of their human rights and their fundamental freedoms fully. Every day, we remain committed to promoting disability rights at home and abroad.