International Day of Persons with Disabilities is annually held on December 3. The United Nations General Assembly resolution 47/3 proclaimed the annual observance of this Day in 1992. It aims to promote the rights and well-being of persons with disabilities in all spheres of society and development, and to increase awareness about the situation of persons with disabilities in every aspect of political, social, economic, and cultural life.
The International Disability Rights team of the U.S. State Department leads the U.S. comprehensive strategy to promote and protect the rights of persons with disabilities internationally. The United States, as part of our foreign policy, works to remove barriers and create a world in which disabled people enjoy dignity and full inclusion.
As part of its #IVLP – International Visitor Leadership Program – exchange program the U.S. State Department is organizing and funding a special program in January 2018 focusing on Equal Rights and Chances for the Disabled. The program is an initiative of U.S. Embassy Bern. During the ten-day program a group of five Swiss people representing government organizations, NGOs, universities, and umbrella organizations will travel to Washington and two other cities. The participants will visit a wide range of organizations, projects, and examples of best practices in the United States. Special focus will be on implementation of legal frameworks, independent living, inclusion at the work place and at school, and e-accessibility. The program will also address ways to raise awareness among the general public on the importance of inclusion of persons with disabilities in all aspects of society.
To learn more about the exchange of the Swiss delegation, please read the article “Wie der Americans with Disabilities Act
(ADA) die USA veränderte und anderen Staaten als Vorbild dient” which has been published in this magazine: «Behinderung & Politik» 2/18 (740 KB)
