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Ammon News - AMMONNEWS- The State Department’s Special Advisor for International Disability Rights, Judith Heumann, arrived in Jordan today on a three-day visit to build relationships with Jordanian counterparts and conduct consultations on disability issues. Ms. Heumann particularly hopes to identify additional avenues for U.S. – Jordanian cooperation on disability rights. Her visit is part of a regional tour including Tunis, Algeria, Jordan, and Qatar.

During her visit, Ms. Heumann will meet with His Royal Highness Prince Raad, President of the Higher Council for the Affairs of Persons with Disabilities (HCAPD), Amman Mayor Omar Al-Maani, and local organizations and individuals supportive of disability issues, including landmine survivors and members of the TAKAFO coalition. Ms. Heumann will also tour Rainbow Street, visit the Holy Land Institute for the Deaf in the city of Salt, and hold panel discussions with Disabled Persons Organizations’ representatives, Government of Jordan stakeholders, and donor groups.

Ms. Heumann was appointed Special Advisor for International Disability Rights in June 2010. Special Advisor Heumann leads the Administration’s efforts to develop a comprehensive strategy to promote the rights of persons with disabilities internationally; coordinates an interagency process for the ratification of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities; and ensures that foreign assistance incorporates persons with disabilities.

Prior to her appointment, Ms. Heumann was the Director for the Department on Disability Services for the District of Columbia. From June 2002-2007, she served as the World Bank's first Adviser on Disability and Development and as Lead Consultant to the Global Partnership for Disability and Development. Ms. Heumann served as the Assistant Secretary for the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitation Services in the U.S. Department of Education from 1993-2001. Having successfully fought for her own rights as a wheelchair user, Ms. Heumann is an internationally recognized leader in the disability community and a lifelong civil rights advocate.