International Day of Persons with Disabilities being observed on December 3

The International Day of Persons with Disabilities is observed on December 3 every year by the United Nations and several other organisations. This year, the day is being celebrated under the Theme-  “Building Back Better: Towards a disability-inclusive accessible and sustainable post COVID-19 World”.

History

The International Day of Persons with Disability was first proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly in the year 1992. The day was originally called as “International Day of Disabled Persons” before it attained its new name in 2007.

Aim of the day

• The day is observed with an aim to promote the well-being and rights of the persons with disabilities.
• It also seeks to raise the awareness of the situation of persons with disabilities with respect to social, economic, political and cultural life.

Why there is a need to raise the awareness?

More then 1 billion population in the world are the persons with disabilities. Out of them, 80% of the people live in the developed countries. Further, 46% of them are aged 60 years. Also, These people have hit hardest by the COVID-19 pandemic. So, it becomes important to raise the awareness among the people so that need of the Persons with Disability is met.

Global efforts toward People with Disability

On the occassion of International Day of People with Disability 2012, the United Kingdom government had introduced mandatory work for the disabled people who received welfare benefits. This move was taken by the United Nations to Improve the chances for disabled peoples to get work by mandatory employment. Though this move was criticized by the founder of the Susan Archibald Centre stating that the mandatory employment of people with disabilities is breaching the article 27/2 of the UN Convention of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

UN Convention of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities

It is an international human rights treaty of the United Nations that came into force in 2008. The treaty seeks to protect the rights and dignity of persons with disabilities. As per the treaty, members of the convention are required to promote, protect, and ensure the full enjoyment of human rights by persons with disabilities. This treaty also support the global disability rights movement that promotes from treating the person with disability as full and equal members of society instead of treating them as an objects of charity, medical treatment and social protection.