World Disability Day
3rd December is celebrated as International Day of Persons with Disabilities promoted by the United Nations since 1992. This year we celebrate the 21st anniversary of International Day of Persons with disability. It has been celebrated with varying degrees of success around the planet. The observance of the Day aims to promote an understanding of disability issues and mobilize support for the dignity, rights and well-being of persons with disabilities. Over one billion people, or approximately 15 per cent of the world’s population, live with some form of disability! 15% of the world’s population is disabled and an estimated 80% of those 1 billion people live in the developing world.
Around the world, persons with disabilities face physical, social, economic and attitudinal barriers that exclude them from participating fully and effectively as equal members of society. They are disproportionately represented among the world’s poorest, and lack equal access to basic resources, such as education, employment, healthcare and social and legal support systems, as well as have a higher rate of mortality. In spite of this situation, disability has remained largely invisible in the mainstream development agenda and its processes.
The commemoration of this year’s International Day of Persons with Disabilities provides an opportunity to further raise awareness of disability and accessibility as a cross cutting development issue and further the global efforts to promote accessibility, remove all types of barriers, and to realize the full and equal participation of persons with disabilities in society and shape the future of development for all!
