World Disabled Day, also known as International Day of Persons with Disabilities is observed annually on 3rd December. It is an international observation upheld by the United Nations since 1992.
World Disability Day 2018 Celebration: History, Significance, Themes
Disabled persons are a lot discriminated for their disabilities which are never a perfect situation for them. The public must take suitable steps to encourage such people with disabilities to make them feel proud instead of feeling sorry. So, by considering this thing in mind the World Disabled Day was established. The execution of the day targets to promote an understanding of disability issues and organise support for the self-respect, privileges and welfare of persons with disabilities.
It also pursues to grow awareness of achievements to be imitative from the incorporation of persons with disabilities in every phase of political, social, economic and cultural life. Until 2007, it was initially called “International Day of Disabled Persons”. Every year, this day emphases on different issues or themes
World Disability Day: History
International Year of Disabled Persons 1981
The United Nations General Assembly in 1976, declared 1981 as the International Year of Disabled Persons. It was a plan of various acts at the national, regional and international levels, with a prominence of giving golden chances, rehabilitation and preclusion of incapacities.
The theme of this day was “full participation and equality”, which define the rights of the disable people, as equal as the normal people to take part in various activities in their life and to help in the development of society and to enjoy living. The equal share in better-quality conditions, bring about from socio-economic development.
On this day, numerous plans were launched with an aim of giving equal opportunities, rehabilitation and prevention of disabilities. Various campaigns were launched at national, international and regional levels.
United Nations Decade of Disabled Persons 1983–1992
In order to offer a specific time period during which Government and other administrative managements could imply the events commended in the World Programme of Action, the General Assembly declared 1983–1992 the United Nations Decade of Disabled Persons.
World Disabled Day: Significance
United Nations has taken numerous steps to emancipate disabled persons. It is very important to infuse confidence in disabled persons and to make them realize of their own abilities to lead a self-dependent lives. World Disabled Day provides a chance to modify action to reach the objective of full and equivalent desire of human rights and involvement in society by disabled persons.
According to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, every person has “the right to security in the event of unemployment, sickness, disability, widowhood, old age or other lack of livelihood in circumstances beyond his control.”
World Disabled Day: Themes from previous years
1998: “Arts, Culture and Independent Living”
1999: “Accessibility for all for the new Millennium”
2000: “Making information technologies work for all”
2001: “Full participation and equality: The call for new approaches to assess progress and evaluate outcome”
2002: “Independent Living and Sustainable Livelihoods”
2003: “A Voice of our Own”
2004: “Nothing About Us Without Us”
2005: “Rights of Persons with Disabilities: Action in Development”
2006: “E-Accessibility”
2007: “Decent Work for Persons with Disabilities”
2008: “Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities: Dignity and justice for all of us”
2009: “Making the MDGs Inclusive: Empowerment of persons with disabilities and their communities around the world”
2010: “Keeping the promise: Mainstreaming disability in the Millennium Development Goals towards 2015 and beyond”
2011: “Together for a better world for all: Including persons with disabilities in development”
2012: “Removing barriers to create an inclusive and accessible society for all”
2013: “Break Barriers, Open Doors: for an inclusive society and development for all”
2014: “Sustainable development: The promise of technology”
2015: “Inclusion matters: access and empowerment for people of all abilities”
2016: “Achieving 17 Goals for the future we want”
2017: “Transformation toward sustainable and resilient society for all”
International Day of Persons with Disabilities: 2018 Celebration
Several activities are observed on World Disabled Day where various campaigns are held by human rights organizations and voluntary establishments in order to promote and educate the awareness on the theme of Right to Act. These campaigns are held at national, international and regional levels all over the world.
The theme for World Disabled Day 2018 is “Empowering persons with disabilities and ensuring inclusiveness and equality”
This year’s theme focuses on endowing disabled persons for a complete, rightful and supportable development as the part of Sustainable Development Agenda of 2030. The Agenda of 2030 initiates “leave no one behind”. Persons with disabilities along with government, various volunteering organisations, and academic institution will group up and will work as a team to accomplish the targets of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
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