International Day of Persons with Disabilities 2022; December 3rd.

FORUM:"Transformative solutions for inclusive development: the role of innovation in fuelling an accessible and equitable world.” International Day of Persons with Disabilities 2022.

Today, one billion people, or 15 per cent of the world’s population, experience some form of disability. Most often, in moments of crises, people in vulnerable situations such as persons with disabilities are the most excluded and left behind. They are often not considered in employment due to negative perceptions regarding their ability to contribute or the cost of accommodating their disability. 

It is crucial for governments, public and private sectors to collaboratively find innovative solutions for and with persons with disabilities to make the world a more accessible and equitable place. It is against this backdrop that UN DESA is commemorating the International Day of Persons with Disabilities (IDPD) this year focusing on the theme “Transformative solutions for inclusive development: the role of innovation in fuelling an accessible and equitable world”. 

Statement by the United Nations Secretary-General on International Day of Persons with Disabilities; December 3rd.

This year’s International Day of Persons with Disabilities shines a light on the role of innovation in fueling an accessible and equitable world.

Our world is confronting a cascade of crises that are disproportionally impacting persons with disabilities.

We need transformative solutions to rescue the Sustainable Development Goals and leave no one behind.

This requires greater public-private sector collaboration to develop strategies for, with and by persons with disabilities.

The cornerstone of this cooperation must be the active participation of persons with disabilities in their full diversity, and their full inclusion in all decision-making processes.

Innovation and technology can be powerful tools for inclusion.

They can enhance access to information, education, and lifelong learning. And they can open new avenues for persons with disabilities to participate in the workforce and society at large on an equal basis.

But to realize the promise of technology we must close the digital divide and safeguard human rights in the digital space.

For our part, the United Nations Disability Inclusion Strategy presents a concrete road map to advance disability inclusion and accessibility across the work of the Organization.

From headquarters to the field, we are working to assess, address and promote digital accessibility and lead by example on disability inclusion.

On this day and every day, let us work together in finding innovative solutions to build an accessible and equitable world for all.

António Guterres.

“Together, we have the tools to tackle the root causes of systemic marginalization of persons with disabilities in every corner of the world. Together, we can make sure that every person – no matter their circumstance – can fully participate in every aspect of life – social, economic, cultural, and political. Together, we can – and we will – advance our common future.” These are the words of UN Secretary-General António Guterres as he addressed the 15th session of the Conference of State Parties (COSP15) to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) earlier this year. With 185 ratifications since its adoption in 2006, the CRPD has successfully advanced the well-being of persons with disabilities. The implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and other international development frameworks are also contributing to this progress. But more work remains to be done. 

OTHER STATEMENTS

• Statement by the UNESCO Director-General on International Day of Persons with Disabilities 2022; December 3rd.
• Statement by the UNDP Administrator on International Day of Persons with Disabilities 2022; December 3rd.

EVENTS: The 2022 global observance to commemorate the International Day of Persons with Disablities on December 5th will be around the overarching theme of innovation and transformative solutions for inclusive development. There will be three interactive dialogues following thematic topics on innovation for disability inclusive development in employment (SDG8); reducing inequality (SDG10); and sports (SDG3). 

The interactive dialogue on sports illustrates how this sector connects innovation, employment and equity. Together with different international actors, the UN is increasingly supporting interventions that are improving accessibility for persons with disabilities. Follow this year’s observance of the IDPD at UN Headquarters in New York to learn more about these efforts. The event will be broadcast live via UN Web TV.

International Day of Persons with Disabilities 2013, December 3.

- Theme: "Break Barriers, Open Doors: for an inclusive society and development for all" 

Opening ceremony at the United Nations Headquarter in New York.

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- United Nations Enable Theatre performance: “Breaking through the barriers”
- Panel discussion on “Mental well-being, disability and development”
 - United Nations Enable Film: “Gold: You can do more than you think”
- Panel discussion on “WIPO Marrakesh Treaty to facilitate access to published works, intellectual property and the inclusion of persons who are visually impaired or otherwise print disabled”


Persons with disabilities must be able to reap benefits of development, UN officials stress.

3 December is International Day of Persons with Disabilities. P.Brown/ILO

There are at least one billion people with disabilities across the globe around 785 million of whom are of working age, the International Labour Organization’s (ILO) chief Guy Ryder says in a message marking International Day of Persons with Disabilities.

But he says while they represent a large, diverse pool of talent, too many are denied the dignity of work.

“The ILO promotes decent and productive work for all, including people with disabilities. Experience tells us that more often than not, they can perform the same tasks as the non-disabled. To have a fair chance they need access to skills and entrepreneurship development programmes, as well as to business development services and credit. The doors of enterprises and workplaces must also be open to them. All together such measures will greatly help jobseekers with disabilities to compete successfully in their search for decent work, and entrepreneurs to develop viable, sustainable businesses.”  (44″)

Ryder says the ILO aims to integrate disability issues in all relevant areas of its work:  from the promotion of international labour standards…to knowledge development and research; advocacy and technical cooperation.

He says the situation of women and men with disabilities in the labour market is a cause for concern as they are far less likely than non-disabled people to be employed.

Donn Bobb, United Nations.
Duration:   1’28″

International Day for Disaster Reduction 2013, October 13

9 October 2013

Secretary-General SG/SM/15383 ENV/DEV/1389 OBV/1267

Department of Public Information • News and Media Division • New York

Persons with Disabilities Central to Disaster Resilience Initiatives, Secretary-General Says in Message for International Observance

Following is UN Secretary-General Ban-Ki-moon’s message for the International Day for Disaster Reduction, observed on 13 October:

“Persons with disabilities are the biggest untapped resource for disaster planners around the world.”  These are the words of Firoz Ali Alizada, a double amputee from Afghanistan who responded to a United Nations survey which uncovered scores of stories that speak to the ingenuity and drive of persons with disabilities to manage risk from disasters.

More than 1 billion persons in the world live with a disability.  This year’s commemoration of the International Day for Disaster Reduction is an opportunity to recognize their vital role in fostering resilience.

Unfortunately, most persons with disabilities have never participated in disaster risk management or related planning and decision-making processes.  They suffer disproportionately high levels of disaster-related mortality and injuries.

Early warning systems, public awareness campaigns and other responses often fail to consider the needs of persons with disabilities, putting them at an unnecessarily elevated risk and sending a harmful message of inequality.

We can change this situation by including persons with disabilities in disaster resilience initiatives and policy planning.  The recent General Assembly High-level Meeting on Disability and Development recognized the urgent need for action on this issue, which is also addressed in the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

Inclusion saves lives.  And it empowers persons with disabilities to take ownership of their own safety — and that of their community.  We can already see their potential contribution in the many persons with visible and invisible disabilities around the world who already serve as volunteers and workers helping communities when disaster hits to cope and bounce back.

On the International Day for Disaster Reduction, let us resolve to do everything possible to ensure that all persons with disabilities have the highest possible levels of safety and the greatest possible chance to contribute to the overall well-being of society.  Let us build an inclusive world where persons with disabilities can play an even greater role as resourceful agents of change.

 

Messages for the International Day for Disaster Reduction

• United Nations: Secretary General message: English - عربي - 中文 - Français - Русский - Español - 日本語
• UNISDR: Video Message from the UN Special Representative for Disaster Risk Reduction
• UNESCO: Message from the Director-General on the occasion of IDDR 2013
• UNCCD: Executive Secretary message for IDDR 2013
• UNOPS: Video Message from UNOPS Director of Global Partner Services Office

What's New : 

Sunday is the International Day for Disaster Reduction, which this year focuses on the one billion people around the world who live with some form of disability. Find out more and take a look at graphic visualizations of the results of the UNISDR survey on needs of persons with disabilities in disasters: 

Building Resilience to Natural Disasters and Major Economic Crises

Asia and the Pacific is the most disaster-prone region of the world. Almost two million people were killed by disasters in the region between 1970 and 2011, representing 75 per cent of global disaster fatalities. A person living in Asia and the Pacific is four times more likely to be affected by natural disasters than someone living in Africa, and 25 times more likely than someone living in Europe or North America. In 2011 alone, economic damages and losses from disasters in the region totaled more than $293 billion.
For many policymakers, this is uncharted territory: they are more accustomed to focusing on problems in particular economic or social sectors rather than treating them as systemic wholes. This report "Building Resilience to Natural Disasters and Major Economic Crises", which was prepared for the 69th Session of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), provides a comprehensive response to addressing multiple shocks in Asia and the Pacific. It shows how people, organizations, institutions and policymakers can work together to weave resilience into economic, social and environmental policies.

About ADPC from Program for Enhancement of Emergency Response (PEER)

• Join the forum :  International Day for Disaster Reduction (13 October)
• Watch the Videos : International Day for Disaster Reduction 2013