International Day of Persons with Disabilities (IDPD) is a UN day that is celebrated every year on 3 December.
The day is about promoting the rights and well-being of persons with disabilities at every level of society and development, and to raise awareness of the situation of persons with disabilities in all aspects of political, social, economic, and cultural life. WHO joins the UN in observing this day each year, reinforcing the importance of securing the rights of people with disabilities, so they can participate fully, equally and effectively in society with others, and face no barriers in all aspects of their lives.
In this twenty first century, there are over 1 billion people living in the world that have disclosed they have some form of disability. I say disclosed, because that are thousands that will not come out or be brought out of hiding for fear of persecution from their fellow human beings. PWD not only face attitudinal barriers but also physical, social and economic barriers that keep them in a suffocating poverty not just in developing countries, but developed ones as well.
WHAT CAN YOU DO?
On this day, we should all think about what we can do to support people with disabilities in their communities. The first thing you should know is that it’s important not to assume anything about a person with a disability just because they have one. You may think that someone who has a physical disability can’t do things for themselves, but in reality, people with disabilities are often more independent than those without them. They understand what their limitations are and work within them as best as they can. It’s also important to use inclusive language when referring to disabilities – don’t say “a blind person” or “the deaf.” Rather, refer to those terms as “blindness” or “deafness”.
SOME SIMPLE EVERYDAY THINGS YOU CAN KEEP IN MIND:
- Don’t park in disabled parking areas.
- Don’t use the restrooms allocated for people with disabilities.
- Never pet or distract a guide dog on duty without permission.
- Learn a few everyday signs in sign language. You never know when you might need it.
- These suggestions may seem like common sense now, but we need to always keep these tips and ideas in mind when coming across a person with a disability.