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International Day of Persons with Disabilities (December 3) is an international observance promoted by the United Nations since 1992.
It has been observed with varying degrees of success around the planet. The observance of the Day aims to promote an understanding of disability issues and mobilize support for the dignity, rights and well-being of persons with disabilities. It also seeks to increase awareness of gains to be derived from the integration of persons with disabilities in every aspect of political, social, economic and cultural life. It was originally called International Day of Disabled Persons until 2007. Each year the day focuses on a different issue.
In 1976, the United Nations General Assembly proclaimed 1981 as the International Year of Disabled Persons. It called for a plan of action at the National, regional and International levels, with an emphasis on equalization of opportunities, rehabilitation and prevention of disabilities.
The theme of the International Year of Disabled Persons was Full Participation and Equality, defined as the right of persons with disabilities to take part fully in the life and development of their societies, enjoy living conditions equal to those of other citizens, and have an equal share in improved conditions resulting from socio-economic development.
To provide a time frame during which Governments and Organizations could implement the activities recommended in the World Programme of Action, the General Assembly proclaimed 1983-1992 the United Nations Decade of Disabled Persons.
On the 2012, International Day of People with Disability, the United Kingdom government introduced mandatory work for disabled people who received welfare benefits in order to Improve disabled peoples chances of getting work by mandatory employment.
The founder of the Susan Archibald Centre stated that the mandatory employment of people with disabilities is a breach of article 27/2 of the UN Convention of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
The Guardian noted that from this United Nations appointed day onwards people with disabilities and illnesses ranging from cancer to paralysis to mental health may be forced by the UK government to work for free or else they risk being stripped of up to 70% of their welfare benefits.
A program was also launched on 3 December in India to serve the differently-able community of the country as an initiative called Accessible India Campaign under Article 9 of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD).
More information: United Nations
The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities is an international human rights treaty of the United Nations intended to protect the rights and dignity of persons with disabilities.
Parties to the convention are required to promote, protect, and ensure the full enjoyment of human rights by persons with disabilities and ensure that persons with disabilities enjoy full equality under the law.
The Convention serves as a major catalyst in the global disability rights movement enabling a shift from viewing persons with disabilities as objects of charity, medical treatment and social protection towards viewing them as full and equal members of society, with human rights.
The convention was the first U.N. human rights treaty of the twenty-first century.
The text was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on 13 December 2006, and opened for signature on 30 March 2007. Following ratification by the 20th party, it came into force on 3 May 2008.
As of October 2023, it has 164 signatories and 188 parties, 187 states and the European Union (which ratified it on 23 December 2010). The convention is monitored by the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities for which annual Conferences of States Parties to the CRPD have set guidelines since 2008. The thirteenth Conference of States Parties was scheduled to meet in New York in June 2020, then rescheduled tentatively to meet in December 2020 due to the COVID-19 crisis.
More information: World Health Organization
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