[vc_row][vc_column width=”2/3″][vc_column_text]Each year since 1992, December 3 has been recognized as International Day of People with Disabilities (IDPWD). We join with others around the globe today to celebrate the unique abilities of those in our disability community. More than 1 billion people around the world have a disability, and it is the only minority group anyone can join at any time.
The purpose of this annual event, which was created by the United Nations (UN), is to:
- Celebrate the diversity of our global community, and cherish the role we all play, regardless of our abilities;
- Learn from the experiences of people living with a disability;
- Look towards the future and the creation of a world where a person is not characterized by their disabilities, but by their abilities;
- Show support for and commit to create a world characterized by equal human rights.
Each year a theme is selected to call attention to a disability rights issue and to encourage others to take action on it. This year’s theme is “Fighting for rights in the post-COVID era.” It emphasizes the need for people with disabilities to be central to health sector decision making.
From the IDPWD website:
This year, International Day of People with Disabilities should be used to recognize that people who live with disabilities are among the most affected populations amid the COVID pandemic.
We call on domestic and international public health officials, political representatives, advocates, supporters, and every citizen in every community, to learn from the experiences of people living with disabilities during this pandemic, and push for more meaningful investments into the socioeconomic building blocks which will reduce the barriers faced by people with disabilities in every community on earth.
To learn more about IDPWD, the resources they offer, and how you can take action, click here: International Day of People with Disabilities (idpwd.org)[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_single_image image=”14467″ img_size=”full”][/vc_column][/vc_row]