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On Thursday, December 12, 2024, Gallaudet University’s International Development MA (IDMA) Program co-hosted a Disability Inclusion Summit with partners Chemonics International, Inclusive Development Partners, and the US International Council on Disability.

The event celebrated the October 2024 launch of USAID’s landmark Disability Policy, Nothing Without Us, which aims to “empower and elevate the lives of persons with disabilities in partner countries by supporting USAID and our partners to recognize, respect, value, meaningfully engage, include, and be intentional in supporting persons with disabilities and their representative organizations to benefit equitably from our work as equal partners.” Attendees noted the historic nature of this advancement and its promise for infusing disability inclusion throughout worldwide development initiatives.

A woman wearing all green stands in front of a screen that reads "Nothing without us."
IDMA’s Binta Badjie presented moving closing remarks for the summit. Earlier, she joined Dr. Audrey Cooper to present on climate change and the environment in a breakout session.

Emcee Shauna Caria, Global Practice Lead of Gender Equality and Social Inclusion at Chemonics, a sustainable development firm working in over 100 countries, described the policy as a “bright light reinforcing values of inclusivity, equity, and accessibility in the development sector.” 

Katherine Guernsey, USAID Disability Rights Coordinator, delivered a powerful keynote highlighting the Agency as one of the first bilateral organizations to adopt a policy on disability back in 1997. It was time, she added, for an update that could respond to stakeholder feedback and the challenges and opportunities of the 21st century.

The event then featured a panel of inclusion specialists moderated by Anne Hayes, Co-Founder/ED of Inclusive Development Partners, with panelists Luc Lusumba, Country Director, Congo Handicap; Rachel Chaikof, Senior Practice Specialist, Chemonics’ Gender Equality and Social Inclusion; Marcie Roth, ED/CEO, World Institute on Disability; and Stuart Chauluka, Universal Access Specialist, Malawi Union of the Blind, Federation of Disability Organizations in Malawi. You can watch the opening remarks, welcome, keynote, and panel discussion here.

Afterward, breakout sessions covered 12 thematic areas, with IDMA second-year graduate student Binta Badjie and IDMA Program Director Dr. Audrey Cooper presenting a session on Climate Change and the Environment, which provided examples of Deaf and disability leadership in advancing environmental stewardship and inclusive Disaster Risk Reduction efforts.

Badjie presented closing remarks, reflecting on the struggles and the victories of her own disability inclusion journey in The Gambia. A recipient of the World Deaf Leadership Scholarship in 2023 to study International Development at Gallaudet, she cited Nelson Mandela’s belief in education as the “most powerful weapon” in transforming the world. “This simple yet profound message shaped my education journey and remains the foundation of my belief in disability inclusion,” she said.

Badije connected this guiding philosophy to her personal journey and to the significance of USAID’s Disability Policy, particularly for advancing the leadership of women and girls with disabilities through education: “I stand before you not just as someone who overcame personal barriers but as a living testament to the importance of education for all: education that includes persons with disabilities and empowers them to be active participants in shaping their futures.”

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