Today, the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and
Cultural Affairs (ECA) announced that Paralympian Dr. Andrea
Woodson-Smith and Deaflympian Dr. Becky Clark will travel to Guangzhou,
China, May 15-20, to promote inclusion and equality for persons with
disabilities, especially young women and girls. This event marks the
first time the State Department will send persons with physical
disabilities as Sport Envoys.
In Guangzhou, Dr. Woodson-Smith and Dr. Clark will participate in
discussions with persons with disabilities, students, and organizations
supporting persons with disabilities on the topic of disability sports
culture in the United States. They will also discuss disability policy
with Chinese leadership. This program is a product of joint discussions
between U.S. and Chinese leaders at the 2012 U.S.-China Consultation on
People to People Exchange (CPE) meetings in Beijing.
Dr. Woodson-Smith is a college professor at North Carolina Central
University and former U.S. national women’s wheelchair basketball team
member. Today, she plays with the Dallas Lady Mavericks and the
Charlotte Rollin’ Bobcats. Dr. Clark, in addition to being a licensed
clinical social worker and psychotherapist, played basketball for the
University of Tennessee, is a three-time volleyball Deaflympian who won
one gold and two silver medals, and is an accomplished marathoner and
softball player. She was a torch bearer for the 2002 Winter Olympics.
This Sports Envoy program supports the U.S. Department of State’s
global promotion and practices that respect diversity regardless of
ethnicity, religion, gender, race, sexual orientation, or disability;
and recognition that persons with disabilities have the same rights as
non-disabled persons and must be provided access, opportunity,
inclusion, and full participation on an equal basis with others.
To learn more about the U.S. Department of State’s sports diplomacy programs, please visit : http://eca.state.gov/programs-initiatives/sports-diplomacy.
Source : eNews Channels , 13th May 2013
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