U.S. Assistant Secretary for the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services Alexa Posny will give remarks as a federal panelist during the launch of the World Report on Disability in Arlington, Va., at 10:50 a.m., Monday, September 12. Posny will highlight important policies and practices of the Obama Administration’s cradle to career agenda, focusing on improving outcomes for infants, toddlers, children and youth with disabilities, and their families. The federal panel is comprised of representatives from agencies that develop and implement disability policies and fund research.
The World Report on Disability summarizes the best available scientific evidence on disability and makes recommendations for action in support of implementing the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. The event is being conducted in cooperation with the World Health Organization, the World Bank, the PAN American Health Organization, The Interagency Committee on Disability Research, and the U.S. International Council on Disabilities. The report is a product of a multi-year effort by more than 300 contributors from all parts of the world. It provides documented evidence of the social and economic status of persons with disabilities, the state of disability services, the problems and best practices, as well as recommendations for needed research and development.