This bill directs the U.S. State Department to make disability rights a central focus of American foreign policy and diplomacy. The legislation requires the department to develop a formal disability rights strategy within 180 days, establish and strengthen an Office of International Disability Rights headed by a Senate-confirmed Ambassador-at-Large, and allocate $6 million annually through 2030 to support these efforts. The bill also mandates that the State Department improve workplace accessibility for employees with disabilities, ensure all overseas embassies and consulates meet accessibility standards, and provide mandatory disability policy training to all State Department staff and diplomatic officials. Additionally, the law creates the Judy Heumann Foreign Service Disability Fellowship program to train at least two government employees annually in disability rights advocacy, requires annual reporting to Congress on implementation progress, and calls for improved data collection on disability-related foreign assistance spending. Overall, the bill affects State Department employees with disabilities, people with disabilities living in countries receiving U.S. aid, and overseas facility users by requiring systemic changes to how the U.S. conducts international relations and manages its global diplomatic infrastructure.
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