International Day of Persons with Disabilities – December 3, 2022, history, significance
Disability Day aka the International Day of People with Disability has been commemorated on December 3rd of every year. Disability is otherwise called an impairment in a person’s body. There are millions of people from all over the world. It not only concerns mental or physical disabilities but also deals with the cognitive, developmental, intellectual, sensory, or some combination of these. On concerning the challenges faced by people with disabilities, the UN has decided to mark a celebration Day for those people. Disability Day aims in promoting an understanding of disability issues. Thereby providing the well-being of disabled individuals and mobilizing the support of their dignity and rights.
History of Disability Day
The first observance of Disability Day was held in the year 1992. United Nations General Assembly resolution 47/3 had proclaimed this Day. It is now an international observance promoted by the United Nations. The celebration Day is otherwise called the International Day of People with Disability (IDPD).
It is a special Day that assists people with disabilities to lead a better life like all other people in the world. It has been celebrated with different degrees of success from all around the globe. The observance of the Day aims to promote an understanding regarding the disability issues and thus helps in mobilizing the support for them concerning the dignity, rights, and well-being of persons with the disabilities.
The observance Day also attempts to increase awareness of the profits that are to be derived from the integration of the disabled person in every aspect of life in political, social, economic, and cultural aspects. The Day was originally called the “International Day of Disabled Persons” until 2007. Each year the day focuses on a different issue with a theme. The plan for this international observance was started in the year 1976.
The United Nations General Assembly had proclaimed the year 1981 as the International Year of Disabled Persons (IYDP). IYDP’s theme was “full participation and equality.” To provide equalization of opportunities, rehabilitation, and prevention of disabilities, IYDP had called for a plan of action at each level including the national, regional, and international levels. The General Assembly proclaimed the decade between the years 1983 and 1992 as the United Nations Decade of Disabled Persons
All year theme of the International Day of People with Disability
- 1998 – Arts, Culture and Independent Living.
- 1999 – Accessibility for all for the new Millennium.
- 2000 – Making information technologies work for all.
- 2001 – Full participation and equality: The call for new approaches to assess progress and evaluate outcome.
- 2002 – Independent Living and Sustainable Livelihoods.
- 2003 – A Voice of Our Own.
- 2004 – Nothing About Us Without Us.
- 2005 – Rights of Persons with Disabilities: Action in Development.
- 2006 – E-Accessibility.
- 2007 – Decent Work for Persons with Disabilities.
- 2008 – Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities: Dignity and justice for all of us.
- 2009 – Making the MDGs Inclusive: Empowerment of persons with disabilities and their communities around the world.
- 2010 – Keeping the promise: Mainstreaming disability in the Millennium Development Goals towards 2015 and beyond.
- 2011 – Together for a better world for all: Including persons with disabilities in development.
- 2012 – Removing barriers to create an inclusive and accessible society for all.
- 2013 – Break Barriers, Open Doors: for an inclusive society and development for all.
- 2014 – Sustainable development: The promise of technology.
- 2015 – Inclusion matters: access and empowerment for people of all abilities.
- 2016 – Achieving 17 Goals for the future we want.
- 2017 – Transformation towards sustainable and resilient society for all.
- 2018 – Empowering persons with disabilities and ensuring inclusiveness and equality.
- 2019 – Promoting the participation of persons with disabilities and their leadership: taking action on the 2030 Development Agenda.
- 2020 – Not all Disabilities are Visible.
- 2021 – Leadership and participation of persons with disabilities.
- 2022 – Transformative solutions for inclusive development: the role of innovation in fuelling an accessible and equitable world
INTERNATIONAL DAY OF PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES TIMELINE
1960
Going for the Gold
The first official Paralympic Games were hosted.
1976
Great Decision
The United Nations made the decision that the year 1981 should be the International Year of Disabled Persons.
1992
Dedicated Day for the Disabled
The International Day of People with Disability was proclaimed by the United Nations.
2013
Better Schemes
Australia passed the National Disability Insurance Scheme.
HOW TO OBSERVE INTERNATIONAL DAY OF PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES
Become an advocate for people with disabilities
Look around your community and the places you frequent. If accommodations for people with disabilties are not in place, ask the shop owner, mall manager and/or your elected officials to install them.It’s the law.
Lend a helping hand
Inquire at your local senior center or residence, or of the nurses at an outpatient clinic, if they know of someone who needs assistance. Offer to help. Sometimes just delivering a medication, dropping off the mail, or picking up a few things at the grocery —simple tasks for you—would make the world of difference to someone with a disability.
Show some compassion
When you’re tired, harried and in a rush, you know you can sometimes be irritable. Don’t snap at someone who’s slowing you down,or take your frustrations out on them. They could be a person with a disability. If so, their lives are always like that, while your problems are probably fleeting. Likewise, don’t let any bad humor they exhibit ruin your day. This is when a smile can smooth everything over.
