U.S. Speaker Spot (December 2023)
As a partnership with the Office of the U.S. Speaker Program, the American Spaces Newsletter is featuring selected speakers available for virtual programs with professional audiences on priority themes. For more information about the U.S. Speaker Program, and to submit a program request, please reach out to your local Public Diplomacy Section.
INTERNATIONAL DAY OF PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES
Khadijat K. Rashid
Khadijat K. Rashid is a leading expert in deaf international education and the dean of faculty at Gallaudet University. She is the co-editor of “Citizenship, Politics, Difference: Perspectives from Sub-Saharan African Communities,” and leads Gallaudet’s Nigeria-Africa (GAIN) program, which promotes multilingual tertiary education to deaf, deaf-blind, and hard of hearing communities to cultivate inclusive, accessible, and equitable opportunities in Africa. She is fluent in American Sign Language. Bio Video
James Thurston
James Thurston is an accessible digital transformation lead at Atos, a computer and information technology company, where he works to accommodate those with disabilities. His areas of expertise include technology and public policy, the inclusion for persons with disabilities with AI, machine learning, and smart cities. Previously, Thurston was responsible for accessibility policy at Microsoft, implementing technology for people with disabilities all over the world. Bio Video
HUMAN RIGHTS/GBV (16 DAYS OF ACTIVISM AGAINST GENDER BASED VIOLENCE)
Deborah Tucker
Deborah Tucker is a domestic violence specialist for child protective services at Texas Department of Family and Protective Services, and an adjunct lecturer at Texas State University. She is the former president of the board of directors of the National Center on Domestic and Sexual Violence, and an award-winning American women’s rights activist. Tucker has been working against domestic violence since 1974. She has collaborated with multiple organizations and is the former co-chair of the U.S. Department of Defense Task Force on Domestic Violence. LinkedIn
Bruce Perry
Bruce Perry is the principal of the Neurosequential Network, which develops programs for children, families, and communities, and an adjunct professor at Northwestern University and La Trobe University in Melbourne, Australia. Perry is a clinician and researcher in children’s mental health and neuroscience. His work focuses on the impact of abuse, neglect, and trauma on the developing brain. Perry co-authored the book “What Happened to You? Conversations on Trauma, Resilience, and Healing” with Oprah Winfrey. Bio Video
