Juan Pablo Salazar Salamanca
President, National Organization on Disability
Bogotá, Colombia
Disability rights activist Juan Pablo Salazar Salamanca designed and implemented the global campaign “Lend Your Leg” to spread awareness about limb loss from landmines, an ongoing problem in his home country of Colombia. The campaign encourages people to roll up their pant legs or shirt sleeves in a gesture of solidarity for landmine victims, and has reached millions in more than 70 countries worldwide. He is credited as the founder for Colombia’s first wheelchair rugby team, and served as president of the Colombian Paralympic Committee.
In 2007, Juan Pablo received an honorable mention from the U.S. Senate in recognition of his work on improving the lives of people with disabilities through the Arcangeles Foundation. Today, he is president of the National Council on Disability (CND), an institutional consultant of the National Disability Public Policy in Colombia, and the Advisor on Disability Issues of the Presidency of Colombia.
“The path of inclusion is the path of consciousness.”
-Juan Pablo Salazar Salamanca