

U.S. Department of State
International Visitor Leadership Program
Reflections on Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility
CITY SPLITS:
CIVIL SOCIETY ORGANIZATIONS
Wednesday, 15 December 2021
Group 1: World Institute on Disability
San Francisco, California | Organized by Global Ties San Francisco
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Giancarlo DE VERA | Australia
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Sharon AWIYE | Cameroon
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Maria Jose CASAUBON HERRERA | Chile
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Marina HORVAT | Croatia
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Edy SUAREZ | Cuba
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Tomas SCUKA | Czech Republic
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Andre CALLUS | Malta
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Mac Ada Mary Ezinne CHUKWU | Nigeria
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Magdalena SWIDER | Poland
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Mariana ESTEVES | Portugal
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Michelle BELFOR | Suriname
Meeting Resources
World Institute on Diversity (California):
https://wid.org/whats-up-wid/ - podcast
Ed Roberts - founder of WID:
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Ed-Roberts
IREX Community Solutions Partner Board
https://www.irex.org/project/community-solutions
Support for Parents of Children with Disabilities:
https://www.care.com/c/10-helpful-special-needs-organizations/
https://www.cdss.ca.gov/in-home-supportive-services
Community Inclusion
https://communitymainstreaming.org/what-is-community-inclusion/
Accenture report on diversity inclusion
https://www.accenture.com/_acnmedia/pdf-89/accenture-disability-inclusion-research-report.pdf
UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
Phenomenal Women Support Group (Disability Network Southwest Michigan):
https://www.dnswm.org/event/phenomenal-women-support-group/
Changing Attitudes (Office of Disability Employment Policy, U.S. Department of Labor):
​​​​https://www.dol.gov/agencies/odep/program-areas/employers/changing-attitudes
Mobility International USA:
Independent Living
Independent Living Support (Disability Network Southwest Michigan):
https://www.dnswm.org/services_menu/independent-living/independent-living-support/
Independent Living for Persons with Disabilities:
https://acl.gov/programs/aging-and-disability-networks/centers-independent-living
Access Living (Chicago):
Employment
Subminimum Wage Employment and Workers with Disabilities:
https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/workers-with-disabilities/overview
Disability and Socioeconomic status
https://www.apa.org/pi/ses/resources/publications/disability
Financial Assistance and Support Services for People with Disabilities:
https://www.usa.gov/disability-financial-support
Ableism in Law Enforcement:
https://www.dnswm.org/ableism-in-law-enforcement/
Workforce Training
https://www.dol.gov/agencies/odep/program-areas/workforce-system
Intersectionality
Intersection of Disability and Everything Else (University of Alabama Birmingham):
​​https://sites.uab.edu/humanrights/2019/02/06/at-the-intersection-of-disability-and-everything-else/
Intersection of Disability and Race (Brandeis):
https://heller.brandeis.edu/lurie/pdfs/policy-briefs/intersections-disability-race.pdf
Intersectionality (Carbado, Crenshaw, May, and Tomlinson):
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4181947/
Poverty issues
Disability & Poverty (Center for Poverty & Inequality, University of California, Davis):
https://poverty.ucdavis.edu/faq/how-poverty-status-related-disability
Disability and Poverty (Washington University):
​​https://openscholarship.wustl.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1047&context=brown_facpubs
Financial Inequality: Disability, Race, and Poverty in America (National Disability Institute):
Accessibility
​Accessibility and Technology (Department of Labor):
https://www.dol.gov/agencies/odep/program-areas/employment-supports/technology
The ADA & Accessible Ground Transportation (ADA National Network):
https://adata.org/factsheet/ADA-accessible-transportation
Disability Overview & Housing (U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development):
​​https://adata.org/factsheet/ADA-accessible-transportation
Education
Higher Education and Disability (ADA):
https://adata.org/research_brief/higher-education-and-ada
Higher Education and Disability: Past and Future (Center on Disability Studies, University of Hawaii at Manoa):
https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1059990.pdf
Educating Students with Disabilities in Higher Education (American-Speech-Language-Hearing Association):
https://www.asha.org/Academic/Educating-Students-with-Disabilities-in-Higher-Education/

Meeting Details
Please join 10 minutes early
Login: 13:50 Eastern U.S. Time
Meeting: 14:00–15:30 Eastern U.S. Time
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Zoom link: https://meridian-org.zoom.us/j/84467258008?pwd=anhMYmZ3NVpTVDNGYW1mZlBadEZTZz09
Meeting ID: 844 6725 8008
Passcode: IVLP
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Meeting organized by: Global Ties San Francisco in collaboration with Meridian International Center
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Meeting Topic: Kat Zigmont will discuss the World Institute on Disability’s research, education, and advocacy on obtaining equality for individuals with disabilities, as well as its efforts to increase inclusion of multiple-marginalized communities.
About the Organization

World Institute on Disability (WID), a 501(c)3 public policy center, was established in 1983 as one of the first global disability rights organizations founded and continually led by people with disabilities. WID works to advance the rights and opportunities of over one billion people with disabilities worldwide, bringing research and policy into action and operationalizing inclusion. Its work centers around Digital Tools for Optimizing Community Living and Employment; Accessibility Solutions; and Excellence in Disability Inclusive Emergency Preparedness, Disaster Risk Reduction, and Climate Resilience. WID’s Board of Directors has committed to expanding their internal and external focused efforts toward inclusion of multiple-marginalized communities, which are all-too-often left out of policy and practice conversations.
Meet Your Speakers

Kat Zigmont
she/her/hers
Senior Director of Operations and Deputy Director
World Institute on Disability
Kat Zigmont is the Senior Director of Operations and Deputy Director at the World Institute on Disability (WID). Working with WID’s leadership team, she recommends and coordinates activities aimed toward translating strategic opportunities into support for critical issues affecting accessibility and inclusion for people with disabilities. She is also responsible for the smooth and effective operation of WID’s internal functions, including managing Human Resources, Information Technology, and Marketing. Additionally, Ms. Zigmont is the Chair of the IREX Community Solutions Program Partner Advisory Board, where she helps shape the Fellows program as well as working closely as a mentor to WID’s international fellows. Ms. Zigmont received her Bachelor of Science in Political Science and Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology from Florida State University. While working in Azerbaijan as a Peace Corps Volunteer, she gained experience in NGO development, community building, and grant writing. As a person born with a neurological disability, Ms. Zigmont is committed to eliminating the stigma of hidden disabilities.