Our Leadership

RI works in collaboration on all of its projects striving to combine international expertise, best practices and lessons learned with local knowledge and experience.

Teuta Rexhepi

RI Secretary General

RI Executive Committee

Zhang Haidi

President

Regarded as China’s Helen Keller for her outspokenness on disability rights, Zhang Haidi is the chairperson of the China Disabled Persons Federation and the President of Rehabilitation International. Born in Jinan, Shandong Province, Zhang became a paraplegic at age five due to complications from polio. Unable to attend school, she educated herself to university level, learning several foreign languages including English, Japanese, German and Esperanto. Zhang started writing and translating in the 1980s, authoring her life story Beautiful English in both Chinese and English. as well as the novel, A Dream in Wheelchair. Zhang holds a Master in Philosophy from Jilin University.

Professor Christoph Gutenbrunner, MD, PhD, FRCP, SFEBPRM

President Elect 

Susan Parker

Treasurer

Mark Weber

Vice-President, Africa

Demelash Bekele

Deputy Vice-President, Africa

Hashem Taqi 

Vice-President, Middle East/North Africa

H.E. Abdulla Al Humaidan 

Deputy Vice-President, MENA

Joseph Kwan

Vice-President, Asia Pacific 

Maria de Fátima Salvador dos Santos Ferreira

Deputy Vice-President, Asia/PAcific

Dr. Gregor Kemper 

Vice-President, Europe

Deputy Vice-President, Europe

Vice-President, North America

Mathieu Simard

Deputy Vice-President, Deputy Vice-President, North America

Tone Mørk

Chair of the Commission on Education

Asha Hans

Vice Chair of the RI Education Commission

Yueqin Huang

Chair of the Commission on Health and Function

Silke Bruggemann

Vice Chair of the RI Health & Function Commission

Hiroshi Kawamura

Chair of the International Commission on Technology and Accessibility (ICTA)

Lei Shao

Vice Chair of the RI Technology & Accessibility

Pauliina Lampinen

Chair of the Commission on Technology on Policy and Services 

Eman Al Tamimi 

Vice Chair of the RI Policy & Services

Zhanxin Tang

Chair of the RI Leisure, Recreation and Physical Activities

Jan Johansen

Vice Chair of the RI Leisure, Recreation and Physical Activities Commission

Kahled Al Mohter

Chair of the Social Commission 

Joseph Kwok

Vice Chair of the RI Social Commission

Kimmo Kumlander

Chair of the Commission on Work and Employment

Madan Kundu

Vice Chair of the RI Work & Emp

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Make a difference in the lives of disabled people around the world. RI welcomes new opportunities to expand its own capacities through collaboration with other organizations.

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