On Wednesday, September 2, 2015, eight participants from around the Middle East visited the Institute on Disability (IOD) as a part of the International Visitor Leadership Program at the U.S. Department of State.
“The visit was a terrific opportunity for the IOD to share our work addressing the barriers that prevent individuals with disabilities and their families from living ordinary lives,” explained Dr. Mary Schuh, Director of the National Center on Inclusive Education at the IOD. “We talked about our vision of fully inclusive and welcoming schools and communities and how we promote this vision through our various activities – research, preservice and inservice training, leadership development, policy efforts, and the use of the media.”
The eight participants each represented a different Middle Eastern Country and had a variety of backgrounds including medicine, the media, and academia. The purpose of the trip was to give the participants a look into federal, state, and local laws and programs intended to improve the quality of life for people with disabilities, including the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA); explore government and private sector funding of services and programs for persons with disabilities; discuss how various organizations, associations, and NGOs influence policy and raise awareness of disability issues through advocacy, media, and grassroots organizing; and provide professional networking opportunities that facilitate long-term dialogue among visitors and their American counterparts.
“It was a great experience and one that I hope fosters long-term relationships with colleagues from around the world,” shared Matthew Gianino, Director of Communications.
The International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) is the U.S. Department of State’s premier professional exchange program. Through short-term visits to the United States, current and emerging foreign leaders in a variety of fields experience this country firsthand and cultivate lasting relationships with their American counterparts. Professional meetings reflect the participants’ professional interests and support the foreign policy goals of the United States. Learn more at the IVLP website.
The Institute on Disability (IOD) at the University of New Hampshire was established in 1987 to provide a university-based focus for the improvement of knowledge, policies, and practices related to the lives of persons with disabilities and their families. Its mission is to promote full access, equal opportunities, and participation for all persons by strengthening communities and advancing policy and systems change, promising practices, education, and research.
The University of New Hampshire, founded in 1866, is a world-class public research university with the feel of a New England liberal arts college. A land, sea, and space-grant university, UNH is the state's flagship public institution, enrolling 12,200 undergraduate and 2,300 graduate students.
