On 9 June 2016, IDPP welcomes the delegation of the USA-Indonesia Deaf Youth Leadership Program to American University. This Cultural Exchange and Human Rights Program is a partnership of the US Embassy in Indonesia and Dr. Mason Global. It brings together 20 deaf and hard-of-hearing young leaders from the US and Indonesia with a focus on the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD). This bilateral exchange consists of 14 days in Indonesia and 14 days in the US, where IDPP is also facilitating their visit to the UN 9th Conference of States Parties to the CRPD (COSP-9).

IDPP will discuss its research and educational programs with the delegation, including its legacy in Southeast Asia through the groundbreaking work of IDPP for the ASEAN Region. IDPP will also share its research on Accessible Global Governance; CRPD Implementation in ASEAN; and building a Disability Inclusive Development (DID) Policy Collaboratory to support the global disability community’s participation in Habitat III, Inclusive Disaster Risk Reduction, and other global governance processes.

The goal of the program is to expose society to the success deaf and hard-of-hearing people can achieve when they are afforded their human rights, including access to their native sign language and access to education. The program uses cultural exchange as a tool to change perceptions, attitudes and behaviors about the rights of people with disabilities.

The young leaders will engage in panel discussions with deaf youth; community leaders; and government officials while in the US, including UN COSP-9, the White House, US Department of State, NASA, the World Bank, and experience how the Americans with Disabilities Act has impacted the lives of people with disabilities in the US.