International Day of People with Disabilities 2020

Disability inclusion is an essential condition to upholding human rights, sustainable development, and peace and security. It is also central to the promise of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development to leave no one behind. The commitment to realizing the rights of persons with disabilities is not only a matter of justice; it is an investment in a common future.

According to the WHO World Report on Disability, 15 per cent of the world’s population, or more than 1 billion people, are living with disability. The global crisis of COVID-19 is deepening pre-existing inequalities, exposing the extent of exclusion and highlighting that work on disability inclusion is imperative. People with disabilities are one of the most excluded groups in our society and are among the hardest hit in this crisis in terms of fatalities.

Even under normal circumstances, persons with disabilities are less likely to access health care, education, employment and to participate in the community. An integrated approach is required to ensure that persons with disabilities are not left behind.

Disability inclusion will result in a COVID-19 response and recovery that better serves everyone, more fully suppressing the virus, as well as building back better. It will provide for more agile systems capable of responding to complex situations, reaching the furthest behind first.

Therefore, the theme this year is “Building Back Better: toward a disability-inclusive, accessible and sustainable post COVID-19 World”.

This year, the International Day of Persons with Disabilities will be commemorated throughout the week of 30 November - 4 December in conjunction with the 13th session of the Conference of States Parties to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

Themes for previous years:

• 2019: Promoting the participation of persons with disabilities and their leadership: taking action on the 2030 Development Agenda
• 2018: Empowering persons with disabilities and ensuring inclusiveness and equality
• 2017: Transformation towards sustainable and resilient society for all
• 2016: Achieving 17 Goals for the Future We Want
• 2015: Inclusion matters: access and empowerment of people of all abilities
• 2014: Sustainable Development: The Promise of Technology
• 2013: Break Barriers, Open Doors: for an inclusive society and development for all
• 2012: Removing barriers to create an inclusive and accessible society for all
• 2011: Together for a better world for all: Including persons with disabilities in development
• 2010: Keeping the promise: Mainstreaming disability in the Millennium Development Goals towards 2015 and beyond
• 2009: Making the MDGs Inclusive: Empowerment of persons with disabilities and their communities around the world
• 2008: Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities: Dignity and justice for all of us
• 2007: Decent work for persons with disabilities
• 2006: E-Accessibility
• 2005: Rights of Persons with Disabilities: Action in Development
• 2004: Nothing about Us without Us
• 2003: A voice of our own
• 2002: Independent Living and Sustainable Livelihoods
• 2001: Full participation and equality: The call for new approaches to assess progress and evaluate outcome
• 2000: Making information technologies work for all
• 1999: Accessibility for all for the new Millennium
• 1998: Arts, Culture and Independent Living

Image source: International Day of People with Disabilities

News Source:https://www.un.org