Did you know that about one billion individuals around the globe live with one disability or another? That’s approximately 15 per cent of the world’s entire population.

One the third day of December every year since 1992, the international day of people with disabilities is celebrated. According to the United Nations, the third of December is set aside for the celebration of things achieved by people with different disabilities around the world. Another reason why this day was set aside by the United Nations is to promote awareness of the challenges that people with disabilities have to deal with and the roles played communities and societies in speeding up the eradication of barriers to participation, equity, social inclusion, and even citizenship.

The journey to recognition and celebration of people living with disability stared in 1981 when the United Nations assembly proclaimed the year International year if disabled people. The year 1981 was themed “full participation and equity”. The United Nations proceeded to tag 1983 to 1992 the United Nations decade of disabled people to further preach the message of inclusion and integration of disabled people around the world.

The disabilities covered by the event include physical, sensory, mental, developmental, cognitive, or even emotional. Disability is the umbrella term that encompasses all forms of impairment or deviation from a personal or group standard and norms hence the celebration of International day of people living with a disability has no specific focus on one particular limitation.

Where is the International day of people living with disability celebrated?

The international day of people living with disability is celebrated everywhere around the world in schools, workplaces, communities, and religious places. The December third 2018 celebration is themed “Empowering persons with disabilities and ensuring inclusiveness and equality.

According to the United Nations, the 2018 International day of people living with disability theme is meant to focus on providing empowerment for disabled people to promote equitable, inclusive, and sustainable development as a part of the Agenda for sustainable development for the year 2030.

Healthable wishes you all Happy International day of people living with disability.

Source: https://healthable.org/international-day-of-people-living-with-disability/