U.S. Ambassador Piper Campbell hosted a reception in celebration of the 25th Anniversary of the signing of the Americans with Disability Act (ADA). Highlights of the event included sign language interpretation of the Mongolia and U.S. national anthems by two students from School 29, and spoken remarks by Ms. Batulam T., Director of Development of Persons with Disabilities at the Ministry of Population Development and Social Protection, and Ms. Gerel D., President of the National Federation of the Blind.
Tim Jenkins, of the Mongolia United Nations Population Fund, screened the 2015 TiLT Challenge gold medal-winning video, It Starts at the Door (video). Created and filmed in Mongolia, the team first learned of the TiLT Challenge, a film/media competition sponsored by the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, through the Embassy’s website.
Guests at the event were also invited to sign a wall-sized poster of the ADA pledge, which read “On the 25th Anniversary of the Americans with Disability Act, I will celebrate and recognize the progress that has been made by reaffirming the principles of equality and inclusion and recommitting my efforts to reach full societal participation for all.” To sign the ADA pledge, please visit here.
In her remarks, Ambassador Campbell noted that “Together, through exchange programs, scholarships, grants, art programs, government-level visits, and alumni projects, Mongolia and the United States have worked closely together to advance the human rights of all people – regardless of ability.”
