A man with crutches standing in front of a small building.

Nothing Without Us:

A Dialogue on Disability-Inclusive Development

USAID and Gallaudet University host 
“Nothing Without Us: A Dialogue on Disability-Inclusive Development”
 an event to commemorate International Day of Persons with Disabilities on December 4, 2023

During this event, USAID Administrator Samantha Power and Gallaudet University President Roberta “Bobbi” Cordano provided opening remarks, followed by a panel discussion featuring an array of global experts who discussed the shared priority of advancing disability-inclusive international development. Panelists included:

  • Dr. Khadijat K. Rashid, Provost, Gallaudet University
  • Meredith Applegate, Country Director for Guyana, International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES)
  • Vladimir Cuk, Executive Director, International Disability Alliance (IDA)
  • Roselyne Olewe, Program Manager, Sightsavers Kenya Global Labor Program Inclusive Futures 

Additionally, USAID announced the winners of the 2023 Disability Rights Photo Contest.

2023 Photo Contest

Earlier this fall, USAID issued an open call for photographs that: 1. Reflect persons with disabilities as active participants in development and not passive recipients of aid; 2. Depict persons with disabilities as empowered agents of change; and 3. Showcase diversity in all aspects (feature subjects across age, region, race and ethnicity, religion; sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression and sex characteristics; etc.). Click through the carousel for a look at our finalists and winner!

Disability Rights Photo Contest Title Card
Hundreds of people, some of whom are wheelchair-users, excitedly prepare at the starting line of a race track. There is a large inflatable orange arch behind the racers contrasting with a bright blue sky and green palm trees.

Finalist

The Running event ‘No Distance, No Limitation 2023’ in Quang Nam, Vietnam attracted the participation of more than 600 people, including more than 300 persons with disabilities. Moments such as these have sent a strong message about the capacities and abilities of persons with disabilities, and call everyone to join in building an inclusive and accessible society for everyone. A world of "no distance, no limitation.”
Action to the Community Development Institute

A Zimbabwean woman dressed in a black sweater, black tights, and a black, white, and red skirt with black boots sits in her wheelchair smiling at the camera. She has a pile of notebooks on her lap and is in front of a chalkboard in a classroom.

Finalist

Hope is a third-grade teacher in a community just outside of Bulawayo, Zimbabwe. Her students adore her. She received her rough-terrain wheelchair through the USAID-funded Consolidating Logistics for Assistive Technology Supply and Provision project. Hope says, “My wheelchair gives me the independence I want. I can attend meetings, socialize and make friends, and participate fully in my community.”
Thulani/Momentum Wheels for Humanity

A young Ethiopian woman who is an amputee, wearing a black headscarf and denim top using a laptop outdoors smiles.

Finalist

Adanech Amare, 25, is one of the youths with disabilities who attended the short-term computer skills training at Bishoftu Polytechnic College with the support of the PRIDE project funded by USAID. While attending the training, she has demonstrated her unique perspective, adaptability, and determination; and scored one of the highest results during the competency-based assessment (customarily known as COC). Currently, Adanech is a member of one of the groups’ formed for income-generating activities of youths with disabilities. She is passionate about her computer skills and wants to flourish as an entrepreneur with her colleagues, who have received work premises from government authorities at the center of the city and startup materials from the USAID-PRIDE project.
Tewodros Genetu/Ethiopian Center for Disability and Development

A man with black hair and a beard in a gray shirt and trousers sits on a large rock beside his wheelchair. In his background is a large jagged mountain range spotted with patches of snow and a bright blue sky.

Finalist

In the backdrop of the world's highest highway connecting Pakistan and China, Salman Khan sits on a rocky perch beside his wheelchair, a living embodiment of accessible tourism and boundless possibilities.” PCP is an autonomous body working under the umbrella of the Government of Khyber {Ky-ber} Pakhtunkhwa’s {Pak-toon-hwa} Department of Health, providing free of cost, “Comprehensive Physical Rehabilitation Services” including, skilled physiotherapy, occupational therapy, orthotic management, recreational activities, skills building, provision of custom made wheelchairs, and more. PCP is a member of the International Society of Wheelchair Professionals or “ISWP.” Initially funded through a multi-year USAID grant, ISWP’s mission is to serve as a global resource for wheelchair service standards and provision through advocacy, education, standards, evidence-based practice, innovation and a platform for information exchange.
Salman Khan/Paraplegic Center Peshawar

A woman wearing sunglasses holds a sign that reads, in Portuguese, “ + Oportunidades - Caridade” (or “more opportunities, less charity” in English).

Winning Photograph

Commemorating Labor Day, this march, themed 'More Opportunities, Less Charity,' emphasized the voices of individuals with vision disabilities advocating for job opportunities. It was a poignant reminder of the need for inclusivity and equal employment opportunities for people with disabilities.
Augusto Marques Santa Maria/Forum of Organisations of Persons with Disabilities of Mozambique

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Gallaudet University, Washington D.C. USAID Administrator Samantha Power’s recorded opening remarks play during the USAID/Gallaudet University event “Nothing Without Us: “A Dialogue on Disability-Inclusive Development.”
Nothing Without Us Event Album

Latest Updates

On International Day of Persons with Disabilities, Recommitting to Inclusive Development

Earlier this year, USAID joined the international disability community in mourning the loss of Judith “Judy” Heumann. Known as the “Mother of the Disability Rights Movement,” Judy was a tireless advocate for persons with disabilities around the world and a personal hero of mine.

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Nothing Without Us Disability-Inclusive Development