The annual observance of the International Day of Persons with disabilities, marked on 3rd December, aims to promote the rights and well-being of persons with disabilities across all circles of society, and to increase awareness of the situation among people.
At present, out of the total world population approximately 15 percent of the population is facing some form of disabilities, in simple terms approximately 1 billion people out of the total population is experiencing disabilities, and 100 million are disabled children.
Disability is defined as a condition significantly impaired relative to the normal standard of individual. It may refer to functioning, such as physical impairment, sensory impairment, cognitive impairment, intellectual impairment, mental illness, and various chronic disease.
The Secretary General of United Nations, Antonio Guterres, said in a statement that this year’s Day of Persons with Disabilities remind us of achieving the Sustainable Development Goals living to the promise to leave no one behind, especially 1.3 billion disable persons worldwide.
He added that persons with disabilities continue facing systematic discrimination and barriers that restrict their meaningful inclusion in all areas of society.
He remarked that United Nations is leading by example through our Disability Inclusion Strategy. He urged the world to work side-by-side with persons with disabilities to design and deliver solutions based on equal rights in every country and community.
In June 2019, the United Nations launched the United Nation Disability Inclusion Strategy to provide the foundation for sustainable and transformative progress on disability inclusion through all pillars of the United Nations’ work.
The Secretary General during the occasion said that the United Nations should lead by example and raise the Organization’s standards and performance on disability inclusion, from headquarters to the field.
Accessibility and inclusion of PWDs are fundamental rights recognized by the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. When persons with disabilities are empowered to participate in societal life and barriers to their inclusion are removed, it benefits their entire community.
The President of Pakistan, Dr. Arif Alvi, commented that today we acknowledge the exceptional strength and unwavering resilience of persons with disabilities who have progressed in life despite their disabilities.
He added that Pakistan remains committed to its mission to eliminate societal barriers that obstruct the journey of disabled persons to success, our goal is to facilitate them to achieve their utmost potential through equitable access to opportunities in life.
He urged the government organizations and civil society to make special efforts for the inclusion of PWDs in all spheres of life. Together we can protect and promote the rights of persons with disabilities in the country.
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United Nations International Children Emergency Fund (UNICEF) in its statement for the International Day of Persons with Disabilities reiterated its commitment to support the inclusion of persons with disabilities across all areas of their work.
It added that building a fairer and more sustainable world does not mean creating societies where everyone is the same. It means building a world where everyone has their place. In these efforts, accessibility and inclusion are the keys.
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