International Day of the Disabled is celebrated on December 3. According to sad statistics, approximately 10% of the world's population suffers from any disease that led to disability, which is almost 650 million people. The purpose of the day of persons with disabilities is to draw public attention to the existing problem, to support the dignity of people, their rights and well-being. On this day, informatization of the population is carried out, aimed at raising awareness of the benefits that the integration of people with disabilities in various aspects of life can bring.
United Nations role
Unfortunately, the majority of people with disabilities still face problems that hinder their full participation in public life, which forces them to be almost isolated from society. In developing countries, people with disabilities are often deprived of their basic human rights to food, health care, education, employment and reproductive health. In this regard, UN activities are aimed at ensuring the promotion of the rights of persons with disabilities: their participation in political, civil, social, economic and cultural life on equal terms with other citizens of the state.
International Day of the Disabled is another day when there is a reason to declare the existing problem publicly. At the moment, there is an international legal document whose task is to ensure the expansion of the rights of people with disabilities in their interests. This document is called the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
How to spend the International Day of the Disabled
To ensure focus on non-traditional and incentive measures aimed at the implementation of international standards and norms related to persons with disabilities, both governmental and non-governmental organizations with the mandatory participation of the private sector are involved in the organization of the Disability Day. The main events can be discussions, forums and information campaigns on the eve and directly on the International Day of Persons with Disabilities. Solemn events can be planned and organized in different places. Basically, they are aimed at demonstrating and emphasizing the contribution of people with disabilities to public life.
Taking action
Within the framework of this Day, all attention will be focused on practical measures that will improve the observance of norms and standards for people with disabilities.
A particularly important contribution can be made by the media, which assist in organizing the International Day of the Disabled with the maximum informatization of all population groups. But, as a rule, the media inform us about this problem year-round, highlighting the most burning issues and ways to solve them. For example, on International Disability Day 2013, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon announced the opening of a UN accessibility center at its headquarters, which indicates another step in society towards people with disabilities.