Third Harkin Summit on
Global Disability Employment
About the Summit
In its first year, the Harkin International Disability Employment Summit convened 180+ attendees from 30 countries over 1.5 days. The Summit was an invitation-only event of select stakeholders who had been successful at employing people with all types of disabilities, or adapting policies and practices that encourage others to do so.
“The unemployment rate among adult Americans with disabilities who want to work and can work is over 60%! That is a blot on our national character.”
Sen. Harkin’s farewell speech
to the Senate
Highlights from the 2017 Summit
Dr. Kim: Focus of the World Bank's 'human capital project' is equal opportunity
The Harkin International Disability Employment Summit concluded with a final dialogue between Senator Tom Harkin and Dr. Jim Yong Kim, President of the World Bank Group. Dr. Kim, who grew up in an Iowa that was represented by Tom Harkin in the United States Senate, attended University of Iowa for a period before transferring and eventually graduating from Brown University. He’d then obtain an M.D.
Panel of young leaders offers insight on the future of disability employment
TWITTER MOMENT: See what people were saying during this panel
The second Harkin Summit continued Friday in Washington D.C., featuring a panel of young people with disabilities to discuss the future of disability employment.
Daunis: We need to work together on disability employment
Florence Daunis, director of operations for Handicap International, closed the first day of the 2017 Harkin Summit with remarks on the reality of improving the job market for people with disabilities.
“It’s hard to convince people to hire people with disabilities,” Daunis said. “People are told no for having a disability.”