Disability Day, or the International Day of People with Disability, is a day that has been promoted by the United Nations since 1992. The aim of Disability Day is to encourage a better understanding of people affected by a disability, together with helping to make people more aware of the rights, dignity and welfare of disabled people.

As well as raise awareness about the benefits of integrating disabled persons into every aspect of life, from economic, to political, to social and cultural. Disability Day is not concerned exclusively with either mental or physical disabilities, but rather encompasses all known disabilities, from Autism to Down Syndrome to Multiple Sclerosis.

Learn about Disability Day

Disability Day has been created so that we can all think about how we can create a society that is inclusive and caters to everyone’s needs. Did you know that 15 percent of the population across the world has some form of disability? This accounts for around one billion people! That’s a very high figure. While we have taken some great strides forward in terms of accessibility and ensuring that disabled people can live as great a life as possible, there are still steps that need to be taken. On this day, we are encouraged to think about how we can create a community that is inclusive for everyone.

This day also gives us the perfect opportunity to further our knowledge and awareness about disabilities. There are many different types of disabilities, which can fall into 21 categories. This includes mental illness, intellectual disabilities, hearing impairments, blindness, and more. It is helpful to learn about these conditions so that we know how we can assist anyone who is living with a disability.

When we talk about creating a society that is inclusive, we don’t only mean ensuring that disabled people are able to travel with ease and can go to any place they wish, but we also mean accessibility in terms of being able to have access to different jobs. There are lots of ways that we can all help and play a role in this.

History of Disability Day

Everything started in 1976, when the United Nations General Assembly made the decision that 1981 should be the International Year of Disabled Persons.

The 5 years between the making of that decision and the actual Year of Disabled Persons were spent contemplating the hardships of the disabled, how the opportunities of the disabled could be equalized, and how to ensure the disabled take part fully in community life enjoying all of the rights and benefits non-disabled citizens have.

Another issue that was touched on was how world governments could go about preventing disabilities from touching people in the first place, so much of the talk was about the viruses and other illnesses that lead to various kinds of disability.

The decade between 1983 and 1992 was later proclaimed the United Nations Decade of Disabled Persons, and during that time, all of the concepts previously created became parts of one long process that was implemented in order to improve the lives of disabled persons the world over.

Key messages

• Disability is part of the human experience.
• WHO recognizes that a world where all people attain the highest possible standard of health and well-being is only possible if health systems are inclusive of people with disability.
• People with disability have been amongst the most vulnerable populations during the current COVID-19 outbreak due to many health, social and environmental barriers, discriminatory attitudes and inaccessible infrastructure.
• The COVID-19 pandemic provides a unique opportunity to build back better our health systems so that they are more inclusive and responsive to the needs and human rights of people experiencing disability in all their diversity.
• Countries need to shift towards a service delivery system rooted in the communities, reaching out and empowering people with disability