International Day of Persons with Disabilities

This Sunday, December 3 is International Day of Persons with Disabilities (IDPD). The annual observance aims to promote an understanding of the dignities, rights and well-being of persons with disabilities. This year the theme is, “United in action to rescue and achieve the SDGs for, with and by persons with disabilities”.

SDGs Meaning:

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), also known as the Global Goals, were adopted by the United Nations in 2015. It is a universal call-to-action to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure that all people can enjoy peace and prosperity by 2030.

Here are some facts about IDPD:

The United Nations General Assembly proclaimed December 3 as the official day to promote an understanding of disability issues in 1992. The day aims to foster support for the dignity, rights and well-being of persons with disabilities.
Approximately one in seven people live with some form of disability, that’s more than 1 billion people total.
According to the 2017 Canadian Survey on Disability, 6.2 million (22%) Canadians aged 15 and older have a disability.
Seniors have the highest disability rate of any group in Canada. 43.4% (1.76 million) of seniors aged 65 and over have a disability.
The first official Paralympic Games were held in 1960 in Rome. The games featured 400 athletes from 23 countries.
In 1970 England passed the Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act, which was the first in the world to recognize the rights of people with disabilities. The act included the provision of welfare assistance, housing and equal rights to recreational and educational facilities.
In the 1980s to 1990s many countries adopted provisions within anti-discrimination legislation to include people with disabilities. Globally there was a significant increase in the numbers of disability advocacy and rights groups.
Disability is a human rights issue. People with disabilities are among the world’s most discriminated people. They often experience violence, prejudice and face barriers to care.
More people are living with disabilities due to population aging and a global increase in chronic health conditions.