3 December is International Day of Persons with Disabilities (IDPD). On this Day WHO joined partners to celebrate "a day for all". This theme reflects a growing understanding that disability is part of the human condition. Almost everyone will be temporarily or permanently impaired at some point in life. Despite this, few countries have adequate mechanisms in place to respond fully to the needs of people with disabilities.
WHO estimates that more than one billion people - about 15% of the world's population - experience some form of disability. This figure is predicted to rise given population ageing and an increase in the prevalence of noncommunicable diseases. While disability correlates with disadvantage, not all people with disabilities are equally disadvantaged. Much depends on the context in which they live, and whether or not they have equal access to health, education and employment, among others.
"More must be done to break the barriers which segregate people with disabilities, in many cases forcing them to the margins of society," notes Dr Etienne Krug, Director of the WHO Department for the Management of Noncommunicable Diseases, Disability, Violence and Injury Prevention. "People with disabilities are often unable to access either mainstream services or the specialized programmes they need. Unless progress is made on this front, we will fail to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals and their ambitious vision to leave no one behind."
In 2017 WHO has made headway on a number of initiatives which further implementation of the recommendations of the landmark World report on disabilityand the WHO global disability action plan 2014-2021. In February through a global gathering of rehabilitation experts entitled "Rehabilitation 2030", WHO garnered the commitment of participants to help governments build comprehensive service delivery models, develop a strong multidisciplinary workforce, expand financing mechanisms and enhance health information systems, all in an attempt to meet the ever-increasing demand for rehabilitation services.
In addition WHO also supported nationwide implementation of the Model Disability Survey (MDS) in countries such as Philippines and Qatar, as well as in Balochistan, Pakistan and in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. It is hoped that the survey results from those settings will lead to positive change, as they have, for example, in Chile, which has revised policies and laws related to mental health, employment and transport based on the MDS findings.
Other recent efforts include WHO's serving as Chair of the Inter-agency Support Group for the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, coordinating development of a chapter on health within the UN's flagship report on disability, and conducting a global stakeholder mapping of community-based rehabilitation initiatives around the world.
The 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.
How to celebrate disability day
Each year since 1992, a variety of events are held in many countries. 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.