"Internationally, we have also, as a country, have really taken disability inclusion and disability rights as a commitment," Minkara noted in a special interview with ANTARA here on Friday.
Minkara stated that this commitment was realized by establishing the role of a special advisor on international disability rights to encourage the fulfillment of the rights of people with disabilities throughout the world.
"This role -- the Special Advisor on International Disability Rights -- (is) really signaling to the international community that we cannot achieve full prosperity, peace, and security, if we do not also include the disability community," she emphasized.
Minkara stated that through this role, and the role of the Department of State, the U.S. has a leading foreign policy on disability as a crucial effort towards supporting disability rights.
Meanwhile, domestically, the U.S. has created policies, laws, and legislations to move towards inclusivity across all aspects, including education, employment, infrastructure, and transportation.
"It has been a 50-year journey, and through that journey, we, as a country, have really moved towards inclusivity across all aspects," Minkara remarked.
However, in terms of the journey of effort, Minkara admits that there is still work to be done.
However, Minkara emphasized that some of this work does not hide the fact that the efforts taken by the U.S. government to encourage the fulfillment of rights of people with disabilities had provided significant benefits, especially for her, who is also a person with disabilities.
"I think for me, as a person with a disability, who was born and raised in the U.S., I benefited from these laws and legislations and policy," she affirmed.
Based on data on her biography, President Biden appointed Sara Minkara as Special Advisor on International Disability Rights. In this role, Minkara leads the U.S. Department of State’s comprehensive strategy to promote and protect the rights of persons with disabilities internationally.
Prior to joining the Department of State, she founded and served as CEO of Sara Minkara, LLC, which promotes authentic leadership and value-based inclusion.
She also established Empowerment Through Integration (ETI), a nonprofit organization committed to developing a more inclusive global society and transforming social and cultural stigmas against disability.
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Reporter: Katriana
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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