Mobility International USA

?? Over MLK weekend, we hosted our annual Future Leaders Exchange (FLEX) Program and Kennedy-Lugar Youth Exchange and Study (YES) Program mid-year orientation and grant training in Atlanta, GA. It was incredible to connect with each of these bright and talented students in person, reflect on their exchange journeys, and explore how their experiences will shape the semester ahead and their future goals. A standout moment was our Tree of Whys exercise, where students, staff, Local Coordinators, and partners shared their personal motivations for supporting cultural exchange and international education. Our Local Coordinator training sessions emphasized inclusion, accessibility, and supporting students with disabilities, featuring valuable insights from our ECA program officer, Susie Wood, Laura Segovia from American Councils, and Jessica Bansen from Mobility International USA (thank you!) We ended the weekend with a group volunteer activity, preparing hundreds of PB&J sandwiches for people experiencing homelessness in the greater Atlanta area—a humbling act of service that honored Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy of love in action and reminded us of the power of small, collective efforts to make a meaningful difference. Grateful to our program leaders, Ashleigh Caws & Virginia George, our incredible Local Coordinators, the entire team at Academic Year in America and everyone else who helped make this weekend a success!! #KLYES #FLEXprogram #globalcitizenship #publicdiplomacy #intled #inclusion #accessibility #culturalexchange

My heart is absolutely full after attending the Harkin Summit this week. Hearing from brilliant minds within the disability professional scene has expanded my vision of what a career in this space can truly be. From deep discussions on the global criminalization of disability in one workshop to learning the importance of making disability data more just, I’ve walked away more energized. It was an honor to co-present alongside Laurie Laird and Vincent Pickett on the powerful impact of international exchange in career readiness. We also highlighted the importance of supporting disabled people’s equitable access to international exchange opportunities and shared resources like Mobility International USA (MIUSA)'s National Clearinghouse on Disability and Exchange (NCDE) project which empowers disabled people to study abroad. A special thanks to Laurie and the MIUSA team for always being a friend to Fulbrighters with Disabilities and supporting my participation at the #HarkinSummit24. As a #fulbright alum, I’m always excited to share how enriching my research fellowship in India was and the huge role practicing yoga played in my overall experience. P.S. A huge shout out the organizers of the Harkin Summit! The accessibility at this summit was incredible. From self-identifying tags and stickers at the registration table to interpreters in every room, it’s clear that a disability justice ethos was front and center in the event’s design. #HarkinSummit24 #disabilityjustice #fulbright #miusa

Thank you so much to the MIUSA alumni who responded to our survey! If you are a MIUSA alum who hasn't yet responded, there is still time to do so over the weekend - and encourage other people who came on your program to respond! Visit https://lnkd.in/g8hbbbfN We received responses from people in Nigeria, India, the United States, Peru, Kenya, Ecuador, Germany, Rwanda, Macedonia, Sweden, Armenia, Mongolia, Cameroon, El Salvador, Russia, Mexico, Poland, and more! They represent people who came on MIUSA's very first program in 1983 all the way to our recent programs for high school exchange students, women leaders, professionals and others - and everything in between! They are making exciting contributions to the fields of journalism, podcasting, language translation, disability rights, arts and culture, legislation, parenting, and much much more! As one MIUSA alum from Russia shared: "Challenge yourself, and change the world". I first heard these words in the Summer of 1990, in Eugene, Or. And this attitude has been a guiding principle in my life ever since.

Around the world, humanitarian crises and disasters have deepened pre-existing inequalities that marginalized populations, particularly people with disabilities, experience. Despite comprising more than 15 percent of the global population, people with disabilities are often excluded from crisis response and recovery efforts as well as broader policymaking processes. Sub-Saharan Africa is no exception to this trend, with crises not only threatening to do new harm to the disability community but also threatening to erode the gains the disability rights movement has made. In response to these challenges, National Democratic Institute (NDI) began a two year program supporting disability activists in Kenya, Malawi, Nigeria, and Zambia. From July 2022 to July 2024, participants collaborated with other human rights defenders to advance a common agenda and hold governments accountable for inclusive crisis response and recovery efforts. In partnership with Mobility International USA (MIUSA), NDI engaged over 80 local civic groups across the four project countries. NDI and MIUSA supported the establishment of national “forums” led by disabled people’s organizations (DPOs), connecting diverse segments of the disability community, other human rights defenders, women’s organizations and youth organizations to foster collective political action. In accordance with the “Nothing Without Us” principle, or the idea that no policy should be decided without the full participation of members of the groups the policy affects, NDI and MIUSA identified local women leaders with disabilities in Kenya, Malawi, Nigeria, and Zambia to serve as consultants on gender equality, disability inclusion, and accessibility. NDI and MIUSA also developed guidance on disability inclusion principles and practices to ensure the inclusion of people with diverse disabilities in all program activities. https://lnkd.in/euDAFS-C

MIUSA alumni, WE MISS YOU! With over 2,300 incredible individuals from over 135 countries (including the United States), MIUSA alumni are the most important network that we have to make changes in the world for people with disabilities. We are inviting MIUSA alumni from all years and countries to complete a survey by December 23, 2024 to be notified about a virtual alumni reunion that will take place in early 2025.? ? Visit our alumni page to learn more! https://lnkd.in/g8hbbbfN

All around the world, people with disabilities and allies are celebrating December 3 as International Day of Persons with Disabilities. Through all the changes happening around the world, we can be sure of one thing: it is more important than ever to celebrate who we are as disabled people. We are part of a global movement to achieve our rights and celebrate our own unique culture. Read our #IDPD message here! https://lnkd.in/gKnBEJME

The 2024 NCDE Campus Collaboration Initiative (CCI) represents an opportunity for two institutions of higher education to expand collaboration between disability services and education abroad.?We are thrilled to uplift the Haslam College of Business at the University of Tennessee and the Coastal Carolina University in advancing greater teamwork to support students with disabilities studying abroad. Learn more about this initiative on our website here: https://lnkd.in/eh5Mmzyt

Grateful to be in solidarity!

Big news - our friends at Save the Children US are hiring a Senior Advisor on Disability Rights and Inclusion! Sound like your dream job? Visit the post and job listing for details about how to apply!

TODAY at 11 AM (CST) learn about Building A Study Abroad Program with Disability Access as Foundation! Register for the webinar here: https://lnkd.in/d_6ej4AH