In the 75+ years that the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) has sponsored academic, professional, cultural, and sports exchange programs between the U.S. and countries worldwide, it has led the way in ensuring that people with disabilities are included and represented in citizen diplomacy.
On Thursday September 22, 2016 ECA’s Disability and Exchange Practitioners Group, in conjunction with Special Advisor for International Disability Rights Judith Heumann, hosted a one-day event for ECA program officers and implementing partners to discuss good practices for recruiting, incorporating, and supporting participants with disabilities in ECA exchange programs (not just those focused on disability issues).
Topics included moving institutional cultures toward inclusion, recruitment of persons with disabilities, and providing reasonable accommodations.
Presenters included:
- Staff from ECA and other parts of the U.S. Department of State
- Mobility International USA staff who work on the ECA-sponsored project, the National Clearinghouse on Disability and Exchange
- ECA-sponsored exchange alumni with disabilities
- Staff representing cooperating organizations and implementing partners of ECA-sponsored exchange programs
Presentation materials and handouts from the event are available electronically on this page under “Documents.”
