Saturday was the United Nation’s International Day of Persons with Disabilities, and in his official message introducing this year’s theme, “Together for a better world for all, including people with disabilities in development,” Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon urged countries to continue including the voices of these people in decisions affecting societal progress.
The Secretary-General, who has made sustainable development a major focus of his tenure thus far, said the day “reminds us that development can only be sustainable, when it equitable, inclusive and accessible for all.” Ki-moon identified employment, health, and education as the three key areas for achieving this goal.
The ways the day was observed were as diverse as the countries in which they took place. People in Pakistan have organized rallies calling on the government to increase employment quotas for people with disabilities. International Herald Tribune writer Mehwish Qayyum profiled a Peshawar man named Noor Muhammed to illustrate the resourcefulness of these people:
Muhammed, 32, has never written a single word with his hands and yet he has a bachelor’s degree. He carries out all his day’s activities using his feet, including writing and using the cell phone.
Meanwhile, in the South African city of Bloemfontein, it was a government official advocating for increased hiring of people with disabilities in both state-owned enterprises and the private sector. The South African news website News24 reported that Lulu Xingwana, the Minister of Women, Children and People with Disabilities, made an emotional appeal that these people are ready and willing to be productive members of the country’s workforce:
For as long as we have so many graduates and matriculants with disabilities who remain unemployed…we cannot use the excuse that there are insufficient numbers of disabled job-seekers with the required skills and qualifications.
The fruits of inclusion are embodied in people like Australian Michael Charles, a 39-year-old man who was able to buy his own home through years of being a productive member of the labor force. He continues a path of self-improvement through engaging in a horticulture assistant traineeship.
Linda Muller offered a well-rounded portrait of Charles in her Bayside Bulletin/The Redland Times article commemorating the International Day of Persons with Disabilities. His independence extends to taking public transportation and attending church with minimal support. He volunteers with a food service for underserved people, participates in social clubs, and pursues myriad personal interests that have other community members tapping his wisdom. Muller writes:
As an avid reader, Michael is rarely seen without a work of non-fiction and is reputed as knowing ‘more than the man on the street’ about rugby and cricket.
Over in the northern hemisphere, a photo exhibit by Independent Living-Montreal makes the point that people with disabilities are just like everybody else. In the Montreal Gazette, freelance writer Kamila Hinkson discussed the project with the center’s chairwoman, Deborah Kennard, who is also a part of the exhibit. The photograph of Kennard depicts her in her apartment, holding a stick in her mouth to type on her computer. Hinkson reports:
The location of each photo plays an important role in the message as well; each participant chose where they wanted to be photographed and what they were going to be doing in the photo. The ability to make that decision plays directly into the definition of independent living, Kennard explained.
A Voice of America editorial recapped progress made in the 30 years since the United Nations made December 3 the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, including how the current administration here in the United States is working to support efforts. Judy Heumann, Special Advisor for International Disability Rights at the U.S. Department of State, says the “paradigm shift” toward inclusion is advancing before our eyes:
People of my age group, we never thought it could happen. But younger people don’t really know anything different…as countries progress, they understand the changes that need to be made that don’t just improve the life for disabled people, but improve the lives of people overall.
Did you make any special observations of International Day of Persons with Disabilities? Share in the comments section.
Image by Sean MacEntee, used under its Creative Commons license.