The NCDE and three panelists got together to talk about how they found their way into the global career space. Learn about the many roads to a global career and what it takes to get there.
You can find a recording of the webinar along with the transcript under downloads. NCDE hopes you enjoyed the discussion and looks forward to seeing you on the next webinar.
Panelists
Abigail Lehner
Abby is thrilled to be participating in another MIUSA Webinar! Abby started her international journey at the University of New Hampshire, where she studied Communication & International Affairs. During her college experience, she traveled to Berlin, Germany to participate in the global internship program by CIEE. Staying true to her passion for travel and education, she now works as a Communications Coordinator at CIEE, Portland, ME. Diagnosed with Spinal Muscular Atrophy, Abby has had to navigate various travel methods as a wheelchair user, both globally and in her everyday life. For this webinar, she will share her experiences navigating the career world as a person with a physical disability.
Vivian Fridas
Vivian Fridas is a Disability Inclusion consultant at the World Bank. She is working with their Young Professionals Program, or YPP, in order to provide strategies and recommendations to attract more candidates with disabilities. She is developing a strategic plan for more inclusive and accessible hiring and recruitment practices, outreach, and onboarding for the YPP. Vivian is passionate about promoting, protecting, advancing, and advocating for the full inclusion and participation of people with disabilities in economic, social, and political life. She has experience advocating for women and girls with disabilities in displaced situations or humanitarian contexts. While at the Women’s Refugee Commission, Vivian helped co-facilitate a training workshop in Beirut, Lebanon for local DPOs, or disabled people’s organizations, on child protection and gender-based violence prevention and response strategies for women and girls with disabilities. Vivian is blind.
Vibhu Sharma
Vibhu Sharma, from India now in New York city, is an Associate Policy Officer in HR Policy at the UN Secretariat. She also works as a Disability and Inclusion Research Coordinator with Theirworld, a UK-based, Global Children’s Charity. She is the project lead on inclusive education and assistive technology for children with disabilities. She is a member on the Global Board of Generation Unlimited, a UNICEF’s partnership to ensure that all young people are in education, skill development or employment by 2030. She represents young people with disabilities on the board, which is comprised of members like the CEO of the World Bank, the Executive Director of UNICEF, UNDP, UNFPA, the chief of ILO, among others. She is also the Co-chair of the Global Partnership for Children with Disabilities – Youth Council, hosted by UNICEF. She is also a Correspondent to the Your commonwealth online magazine, and a contributor to the Voices of Youth platform. Because of her personal experience with visual impairment and her advocacy to increase access in her home country, she has been invited to speak at many international conferences such as those organized by the ONCE, WBU, ICEVI, UNFPA, and many others.
Vibhu is a mentor for youth with and without disabilities around the world and has been recognized a Legends Honouree by Partners for Youth with Disabilities, USA for her mentoring initiatives. She is an experienced researcher and writer, and has a MSc. in Inclusive Education from the University of Edinburgh. She believes that everyone should have access to equal educational and employment opportunities. Vibhu is blind.
Justin Harford
Justin Harford (blind) is program coordinator of the National Clearinghouse on Disability and Exchange (NCDE). He works to increase the participation of people with disabilities in international exchange by sharing information with professionals in higher education and perspective exchange participants with disabilities.
