US State Department Reports

The State Department’s Country Reports on Human Rights Practices, released annually, represent the culmination of the U.S. State Department’s review of the human rights records and situation in 194 countries around the world. The reports are sent to Congress to assist in matters of foreign affairs. The reports include disability information collected by Foreign Service Officers at each Embassy.

Read the State Department’s Notes on the Preparation of the Reports

Many thanks to USICD volunteer, Mr. Benjamin Allen, for consolidating disability findings from the 2017 Human Rights Report:

The State Department also releases the Trafficking in Persons Report annually. This report also contains disability-related information by country.

TIP: The easiest way to search for disability references in the reports is download the report and “Ctrl+F” and use the keywords “Disability” or “Disabilities.” The Human Rights report is also a database and users can search by country or region and then “Ctrl+F” and search using the same search keywords.

TIP: Before you travel to a country, read the disability-related information in both the Human Rights report and Human Trafficking report. When, or if, you meet US Embassy staff then remind them it is important that the Embassy personnel meet with Disabled Peoples Organizations (DPOs) in-country. Share any DPO contacts you have and facilitate introductions.