At a recent address at the State Department, Secretary of State Antony Blinken pointed out that about 1.3 billion people around the world have a disability — about 16 percent of the global population. “And yet we know across the globe, people with disabilities are all too often excluded from critical conversations,” he said.
“[W]e have a responsibility — all of us — to deliver for all of our people. ... History shows us that equitable societies tend to be more stable, more resilient, more innovative. So when our policies exclude those with disabilities, they actually fail all of us. But when we incorporate the needs, the insights of people with disabilities, we all benefit from their talents, from their expertise, from their leadership.”
People with disabilities accounted for nearly 30 percent of the growth of the U.S. labor force between 2021 and 2023, “boosting our competitiveness [and] powering economic growth for our whole country,” said Secretary Blinken. “That’s why we’ve made it a priority to incorporate disability inclusion and perspectives into every aspect of our foreign policy.”
“As we stand with Ukraine against Russia’s war of aggression, we’re working to address the needs of the disability community by improving access to medical care, including helping provide prosthetics for people who’ve lost limbs. We’re also working together to support Ukraine as it rebuilds, in part by sharing best practices for community and independent living facilities.”
To build stronger, more inclusive democracies, the United States supported a program in Sri Lanka that developed new signs in sign language related to elections and voting, bringing down barriers to communication at polling sites.
“The United States is also integrating disability rights at international organizations, so we can put our collective power behind these issues,” said Secretary Blinken, including at the G7 and the C5+1 talks.
Additionally, Secretary Blinken announced that the State Department is launching a playbook to show employees “how they can incorporate disability issues into their own work.”
“If we continue to make disability issues a priority,” declared Secretary Blinken, “if we do it across the [State] Department, we can do so much more to deliver for all our people, to build stronger, more vibrant societies for people everywhere.”
