The U.S. Embassy in Warsaw supported the 4th Congress of Persons with Disabilities, which was held on October 25 in the Polish capital. The event, a grassroots and nonpartisan initiative, brought together several hundred activists advocating for the rights of people with disabilities throughout Poland.
The Embassy’s Cultural Attaché, Dan Hastings, addressed attendees at the Congress alongside notable figures such as Prof. Jonas Ruškus, UN Representative for Disability Rights, Polish Ombudsman Adam Bodnar, and disability activists Anna Rutz and Adam Zawisny. Discussions covered various topics related to advocacy, inclusion of underrepresented groups like women with disabilities, independent living rights, accessibility issues, and more.
Support for the Congress was facilitated through a grant awarded by the U.S. Embassy Warsaw to Fundacja Instytut Rozwoju Regionalnego for their "Advocating for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities" project. This project involves organizing the National Congress in Warsaw, conducting regional meetings between disability activists and local officials across Poland, and developing an educational manual for Polish NGOs and local leaders on disability rights and anti-discrimination strategies.
This grant is part of the U.S. government's broader global commitment to promoting disability rights and ensuring equal societal inclusion for persons with disabilities.