(Radio Iowa) – The Iowa-based Harkin Institute is hosting a global conference that’s opening this morning (Wednesday) in Washington D-C. The annual Harkin International Disability Employment Summit is drawing private employers, government leaders, and disability advocates from more than 40 countries. Daniel Van Sant is director of disability policy for the institute, headquartered at Drake University in Des Moines. “The point of the conference,” Van Sant says, “is to bring those three populations from around the world together to solve for barriers that are keeping disabled people out of competitive, integrated employment.” The two-day conference will highlight talks from more than 80 presenters who hail from more than a dozen countries.

“We’ve got self-advocates coming from all over the world, people coming from Namibia and Guatemala and India,” Van Sant says, “as well as government officials from the U.S. and Canada and the U.K. and Jordan and then private companies as well.” The list of speakers includes officials from Apple, Microsoft, Walmart and Wells Fargo, as well as the U-S Department of Labor and the Social Security Administration. Former U-S Senator Tom Harkin of Iowa was the architect of the Americans with Disabilities Act, which banned discrimination based on disabilities. It was signed into law in 1990 by President George H-W Bush, and Van Sant says it’s still considered an example many other countries try to follow.

“There is now an international convention on people with disabilities through the U.N. but the U.S. is still very much seen as a leader in disability inclusion, especially in the employment space,” Van Sant says. “A lot of American companies are now global brands, and so people in other countries look to what some of the big U.S. companies are doing.” Van Sant says Harkin, who turned 85 last month, remains very passionate about the topic — and the summit. “He will be attending the entire conference. He’s actually giving part of the welcome remarks, and then he’s also doing a closing fireside chat with Judy Woodruff,” Van Sant says. “So he’s very much involved with the institute and excited to be in D.C. this week meeting up with old friends and new ones as well.”

Along with traditional employment topics, content this year will also cover disability in higher education, economic inclusion of disabled refugees, and disability-inclusive artificial intelligence. While the event is taking place in Washington, many of the addresses will be livestreamed.

For details on attending virtually, visit: https://harkininstitute.drake.edu/events/the-harkin-summit/