,,iii #aafth ,,congress #ast ,session ,s4 ,,res4 #dde ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states ,december #c1 #bjai,mr4 ,casey 7for himself1 ,mr4 ,coons1 ,mr4 ,jones1 ,ms4 ,duckworth1 ,ms4 ,cantwell1 ,mr4 ,van ,hollen1 ,mr4 ,brown1 and ,mr4 ,durbin7 submitted the following resolution2 which was referred to the ,committee on ,foreign ,relations ,,resolution ,recognizing the goals and ideals of ,international ,day of ,persons with ,disabilities4 ,whereas ,december #c of each year is recognized internationally as ,international ,day of ,persons with ,disabilities2 ,whereas the ,united ,nations 7,,un7 states that the observance of ,international ,day of ,persons with ,disabilities aims to promote an understanding of disability issues and mobilize support for the dignity1 rights1 and well-being of persons with disabilities and seeks to increase awareness of gains to be derived from the integration of persons with disabilities in every aspect of political1 social1 economic1 and cultural life2 ,whereas over #a1jjj1jjj1jjj people1 or #ae percent of the world's population1 live with some form of disability2 ,whereas #hj percent of individuals with disabilities live in developing countries2 ,whereas there are more than #ic1jjj1jjj children with disabilities worldwide according to the ,united ,nations ,children's ,fund 7,,unicef72 ,whereas the prevalence of disabilities is approximately #ej percent higher for women than for men1 and women make up #ge percent of all individuals with disabilities in low- and middle-income countries1 according to ,,un ,women2 ,whereas persons with disabilities are often excluded from the labor market1 political participation and meaningful involvement in public life and are more likely to experience poverty1 discrimination1 social stigmatization1 and lack of access to vital and inclusive resources2 ,whereas children with disabilities are more likely to be malnourished1 subject to violence1 isolation1 and abuse1 and less likely to attend school than children without disabilities2 ,whereas issues related to disability rights cut across all sectors of foreign assistance1 including democracy1 voting and elections1 human rights1 civil rights1 labor1 global health1 education1 economic growth and trade1 gender equality and women's empowerment1 agriculture and food security1 water and sanitation1 conflict transformation1 disaster risk reduction1 and humanitarian recovery and relief2 ,whereas there are #ei1ejj1jjj people forcibly displaced worldwide and displaced people are more likely to have a disability1 according to the ,,un ,high ,commission for ,refugees2 ,whereas forced displacement amplifies the risk experienced by refugees with disabilities with respect to violence1 including sexual and domestic abuse1 trafficking1 exploitation by family members1 discrimination1 and exclusion from access to justice1 education1 livelihoods1 a nationality1 and other public services2 ,whereas people with disabilities are often members of marginalized groups1 including women1 young people1 older adults1 the ,,lgbti community1 ethnic and religious minorities1 indigenous people1 internally displaced people1 and refugees2 ,whereas the ,united ,states has shown leadership domestically on disability rights with the enactment and implementation of the ,americans with ,disabilities ,act of #aiij 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #abaja et seq471 the ,,ada ,amendments ,act of #bjjh 7,public ,law #aaj-cbe71 and the ,individuals with ,disabilities ,education ,act 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #adjj et seq471 as well as section #ejd of the ,rehabilitation ,act 7#bi ,u4,s4,c4 #gid71 and this leadership should be leveraged to support international disability rights2 ,whereas ,united ,states support for the rights of individuals with disabilities-- 7#a7 is in the diplomatic1 economic1 and humanitarian interests of the ,united ,states2 7#b7 generates goodwill toward the ,united ,states2 and 7#c7 highlights the values of the people of the ,united ,states through the work of governmental1 nongovernmental1 and faith-based organizations of the ,united ,states2 ,whereas the ,united ,states ,government1 through the ,united ,states ,agency for ,international ,development 7,,usaid71 promotes disability-inclusive development by-- 7#a7 improving the quality and accessibility of education for students with disabilities through the promotion of sign language1 ,braille1 access to assistive technology1 and other inclusive education practices2 7#b7 increasing the participation of people with disabilities in political processes through national awareness campaigns1 use of accessible polling stations and voter materials1 and open exchange between disability communities and politicians to update election laws to be more inclusive and compliant with the ,united ,nations ,convention on the ,rights of ,persons with ,disabilities2 7#c7 strengthening organizations run by and for people with disabilities to advocate on their own behalf1 design1 and implement international development programs and access direct funding2 7#d7 supporting the economic independence of women with disabilities through microcredit programs that provide seed grants to women to invest in their families and start new businesses2 7#e7 integrating youth and adults with disabilities into the competitive workforce by facilitating job training1 internship opportunities1 and educating employers on best practices for hiring people with disabilities2 and 7#f7 ensuring community health care providers and disaster response experts include people with disabilities in their programs by employing the principles of universal design2 and ,whereas the inclusion of people with disabilities is a fundamental part of democracy1 and essential to the full realization of human rights3 ,now1 therefore1 be it ,that the ,senate-- 7#a7 recognizes ,december #c1 #bjai1 as ,international ,day of ,persons with ,disabilities2 7#b7 supports the goals and ideals of ,international ,day of ,persons with ,disabilities2 7#c7 recognizes the importance of supporting the rights of individuals with disabilities both domestically and abroad2 7#d7 supports efforts by the ,department of ,state and the ,united ,states ,agency for ,international ,development to promote disability-inclusive development2 7#e7 supports continued leadership by the ,united ,states in bilateral1 multilateral1 and private sector efforts to promote and protect the rights of individuals with disabilities2 and 7#f7 encourages other members of the international community to protect the rights and civil liberties of individuals with disabilities4