International Day of Persons with Disabilities: Amplifying Voices of Persons with Disabilities
On December 3rd, the World Health Organization joins partners worldwide to commemorate the International Day of Persons with Disabilities. This year, the theme is "Amplifying the leadership of persons with disabilities for an inclusive and sustainable future. " This theme highlights the important role that persons with disabilities play in creating a more inclusive and sustainable world for all!
Here are some specific ways you can celebrate International Day of Persons with Disabilities and support their community:
As disability is not merely limited to physical impairment, it’s important to learn more about how to communicate better with people across a range of disabilities. From learning sign language to learning the actual correct terminology to use, there are multiple ways to better engage with the individual as a whole.
This year, the Foley Library and Social Justice Peer Educator (SJPE) Giona Hoaglund collaborated to inform the community about International Day of Persons with Disabilities.
Words From Social Justice Peer Educator Giona Hoaglund:
“I chose to collaborate this month because of my own identity as a disabled person. I believe that disability is greatly underrepresented, and when it is represented, it is often lacking the thoughtfulness and research required to make for respectful portrayals. Seeing myself in characters I love is one of the most magical feelings on this earth, and I wanted to make a display that hopefully provides some beautiful books for other people to either relate to or broaden their reading horizons.
Please remember that some disabilities are visible and some are not. Whether or not someone’s disability is visible does not dictate whether someone’s struggles are ‘lesser’ than others, or less deserving of accommodations. There are books in this display with visible disabilities, and some books with invisible disabilities, and both are equally valid.
I hope everyone can leave this display with a new book on their To-Be-Read list. There are countless beautiful stories about disability and people with disabilities, so let's read some!”
Giona Hoaglund
Why do we celebrate International Day of Persons with Disabilities?
We celebrate this day to recognize the contributions that people with disabilities make to our communities. We also want to express solidarity with and support them in their struggles to overcome the barriers and challenges they continue to face due to stigmatization and exclusion.
Why International Day of Persons with Disabilities is Important
1. It creates awareness.
2. To understand the difficulties people living with disabilities have.
3. To amplify the leadership and role of persons with disabilities in decision-making processes that affect their lives.
What terms do we use for a person with disabilities?
The correct term which is accepted universally is to refer to them as a "person with a disability." Putting the person first creates a focus on their humanity rather than their disability.
Five Facts about Disability
1. Disability and poverty go hand-in-hand
2. Women, children, and the elderly are vulnerable
3. The age group most affected are young people from the ages of 10 to 19 years.
4. 25% of 20-year-olds are at risk of developing a disability
5. 9% of disabilities are due to accidents
Timeline of International Day of Persons with Disabilities
1933 - Franklin D. Roosevelt was elected in 1933 and changed the course of history for persons with disabilities. He became the first president living with a disability, and he began advocating for the rights of those like him.
1939 - Commencement of systematic murder of people with disabilities in Nazi Germany via voluntary euthanasia, leading to an estimated 275,000 deaths.
1950 - The first international movements from institutionalization to community care; Widespread systematic forced sterilization of people with disabilities, and the expansion of laws governing the compulsory sterilization of people with disabilities to include women "at risk" of giving birth to a child with disabilities.
1960 - The first Paralympic Games took place in Rome, Italy from September 18 through 25th. There were 400 athletes from 23 different countries who attended that games. The 1960 Games were a major step forward for athletes with physical disabilities, and they were all supported by the Italian Olympic Committee and the Italian Institute for Disabled Workers (INAIL).
1973 - The Rehabilitation Act is Passed to protect the civil rights of people living with disabilities. The act prohibits discrimination based on disability in programs conducted by federal agencies, in programs receiving federal financial assistance, in federal employment, and the employment practices of federal contractors.
1976 - The United Nations made the decision that the year 1981 should be the International Year of Disabled Persons.
1981 - The United Nations General Assembly declares this the year for disabled persons -- with an aim towards equality.
1992 - International Day of Persons with Disabilities is established by the U.N. General Assembly. This day aims to promote the rights and well-being of persons with disabilities in every aspect of political, social, economic, and cultural life.
2013 - Australia passed the National Disability Insurance Scheme.
2024 - The commemorative event for the IDPD will be held at the UN Headquarters in New York on December 3rd. The event will include an in-person opening segment and a virtual panel.
