International Disability Day
Champion an inclusive society for people living with mental and physical disabilities by attending an event, fundraising or helping someone in need.
International 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 International 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. International 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 International Disability Day
International 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 International 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.
How to Celebrate International Disability Day
Each year since 1992, a variety of events are held in many countries. International Disability Day is used for holding discussions, forums and campaigns relating to disability, and communities are encouraged to organize meeting, talks, and even performances in their local areas.
These can range from hosting a musical to a play, with disabled people being involved in these productions. The overall aim is to show non-disabled people that a person with a disability can be a vibrant member of society, as it happens that the entirely healthy are not always quite aware of this fact, which can lead to different kinds of discrimination of varying degrees of severity.
The disabled, on the other hand, benefit from such performances by proving to themselves that there are many things they can still do, despite their conditions, which can help with their self-esteem and avoid mental issues such as depression from plaguing them.
In general, these kinds of events are meant to challenge and them get rid of various stereotypes so that disabled people can enjoy lives free of discrimination and additional hardship.
Each year the day is celebrated there is an emphasis on a new aspect related to improving the lives of people living with a disability. In 2007, for example, the theme of the year was: “Decent Work for Persons with Disabilities”.
In 2013, last year, it was “Break Barriers, Open Doors: for an inclusive society and development for all”, a call to help disabled people live in an inclusive society in every country, and to make sure that society was as accessible as possible for disabled people in all of its aspects, from making sure buildings are wheelchair accessible to installing braille on elevator buttons.
Another thing you can do on International Disability Day is to help someone in need. Why not hire a mobility vehicle and run errands for people in your local area or help them to have some freedom? A mobility vehicle is designed to help people with one kind of disability or another. But there are certain things that you need to know for successful mobility vehicle hire. WAV vehicles come in a variety of sizes and shapes and it is important that the one you opt for fits the needs of the person you are helping.
WAVs are classified as large, small, or medium. In order to find the WAV to hire that meets your requirements, you need to keep in mind the weight of the wheelchair, the number of individuals you will travel with, the person’s height when seated in the wheelchair, and lastly the equipment you need to go with on your travels.
This should be able to help you determine the right size WAV to hire. The majority of small WAVs can seat four people and they have a ramp instead of a lift to enable easy access. In most cases, small WAVs have lowered floors to allow for more headroom inside the car.
Medium wheelchair accessible vehicles are designed for people with larger wheelchairs that want to travel with more equipment. They can seat between 5-7 people. While most of them come with ramps, some even have an electric lift to make entry easier. They are a great option especially if you normally travel with several passengers. Also, if you have a lot of equipment or a large wheelchair, this option will suit you just fine.
