Use AI to collaborate with disabled people, US diplomat says

Sara Minkara draws strength from becoming blind at age seven and calls on policy makers to understand how people with disabilities can contribute

Sara Minkara, special adviser on international disability rights at the US Department of State, addresses the Special Olympics Global Centre Summit in Abu Dhabi. Pawan Singh / The National

A special adviser on international disability rights at the US Department of State has made it her mission to be the voice of people with disabilities at high-level international forums, from the G7 summits to Asia and Africa.

Diplomat Sara Minkara, who lost her sight at age seven, wants more people representing governments around the world, companies, and environmental and human rights groups to be aware of the potential and needs of people with disabilities, so that inclusion is never an afterthought.

She says artificial intelligence can open up a world of opportunities for disabled people and organisations can benefit from their contributions.

Born in Lebanon, she was in the UAE recently to speak at a series of inclusion conferences in Abu Dhabi and Dubai.

“We need to really bring disability into spaces that have not thought about us, about disability before,” she told The National. “Those are the areas we've been targeting, how do we make sure that disability is part of every lens.”

She wants people to move past the approach that people with disabilities need “charity” and must be protected. Ms Minkara also hopes to change the perception that accessibility is merely a compliance requirement.

Everyone benefits from inclusion

Ms Minkara has travelled extensively and her team works with countries to support the rights of the 1.3 billion people with disabilities globally.

Artificial intelligence should be used to enable more people with disabilities to avail opportunities and services such a job recruitment sites and online shopping platforms, she said.

“I ask any government, don't look at disabilities for only the education or health or social ministries. But is your AI ministry thinking about it? Is your trade ministry?” she said. “When we look at policy, AI, trade, investment, crisis management how do we ensure disability is part of those policy discussions?”

Her team promotes disability rights and initiatives to develop inclusive education, accessible technology and employment opportunities for people with disabilities.

“I continuously ask to ensure you approach things from the lens of the person with a disability,” she said. “We have value to contribute. We are people like anyone else. We can be contributors to the AI world, to the innovation world.”

Part of policy decisions

Timothy Shriver, chairman of Special Olympics International, has described Ms Minkara as “the most influential leader in the history of the United States in establishing disability rights and as part of the global agenda of the US.”

Ms Minkara led the US delegation at the first ever G7 ministerial meeting held in October this year dedicated to issues of inclusion and disability. Her team has worked with the Association of South-East Asian Nations and the first Asean and US high level dialogue on disability was held last year.

Her aim is for disability to be part of discussions at all summits when countries meet for talks on peace, energy, security and trade.

The power of being blind

Seeing her in a leadership position forces people to put aside any preconceived notions.

As a blind person, Ms Minkara cannot rely on scripted speeches like other diplomats and this makes them set aside prepared talking points.

“I depend on my memory as I’m not able to read a script,” she said. “So the person in front of me puts away his notes and becomes more authentic. And it’s because we're more authentic that we are able to dive deep. I think that's the power of my blindness in diplomacy.”

Ms Minkara has a bachelor's degree in maths and economics from Wellesley College and a master’s in public policy from the Harvard Kennedy School.

She attributes her confidence to her mother who told Ms Minkara and her sister, who also became blind at the age of seven, that they had the right to dream. Her mother pushed back when teachers recommended lower level maths and science classes for her daughters and sat with them every evening so they could access their homework.

Ms Minkara asks society to set aside prejudice and make a shift to being supportive and compassionate.

“Parents can be the best enablers. Each of us has had at least one person in our lives that has seen, heard and valued us. When you are seen and valued, that makes a huge, huge difference,” she said.

“If I didn't have that, I wouldn't be here. Confidence came from the fact that I was valued within my home and my mom told me, 'Sara, you are going to have ambitions and dreams’.

“She said, ‘Yes, you are going to have many obstacles along the way. Embrace your disability, don't be afraid of it, don't be ashamed of it.' That is my ask of anyone, how do you embrace yourself fully? It's a journey.”