International Day of Disabled Persons

If you have difficulties viewing this message, please click here.

December 3, 2007 No. 15

In 1992, the UN General Assembly proclaimed 3 December as the International Day of Disabled Persons. The annual observance aims to increase awareness and understanding of disability as a social responsibility and to promote support for the dignity, rights and well-being of persons with disabilities. There are an estimated 600 million disabled people worldwide — almost 10 per cent of the world’s population — 80 per cent of whom live in developing countries. In societies everywhere, most people with disabilities are likely to be unemployed, while others are either underemployed or will never have access to the labour market. This is often due to negative attitudes towards employing persons with disabilities. Thus, the notion that the disabled do not make good employees remains ever present. The theme for this year’s commemoration, “decent work for persons with disabilities”, focuses on how to tap into the abilities of this marginalized talent pool. The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, adopted in December 2006, advocates employment equality in an environment that is both accessible and accepting of persons with disabilities. Below are related UN Chronicle articles on disability, as well as links to other relevant sites:

UN Chronicle, Issue 1, 2006 Education for Children With Special Needs - Difficult But Possible By Uma Tulin UN Chronicle, Issue 3, 2005 What the UN Can Do for the Disabled By Adnan Al Aboudi UN Chronicle, Issue 3, 2005 First Person: My Road to Purpose By Kenneth E. Behring UN Chronicle, Issue 2, 2005 Conversation with... Vivian Fernández de Torrijos UN Chronicle, Issue 4, 2004 'Nothing About Us Without Us' Recognizing the Rights of People with Disabilities UN Chronicle, Issue 4, 2004 'A World Enabled': Fighting for the Human Rights of Persons with Disabilities By Victor Pineda

Transcending Medical Limitations By Roma Rana UN Chronicle, Issue 1, 2003

These stories and more can be found online at www.un.org/chronicle. The UN Chronicle is not an official record; the views expressed in individual articles do not necessarily imply official endorsement or acceptance by the United Nations. To subscribe to the print edition of the magazine, contact UN Publications at publications@un.org or call (800) 253-9646, or go to www.un.org/Pubs/chronicle/order.htm for details on a special internet offer of US$10 per year. Please pass this UN Chronicle Email Alert on to anyone whom you think it might interest.

United Nation Enable - UN DESA World Programme of Action Concerning Disabled Persons The Standard Rules on the Equalization of Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities Themes and observance of the International Day of Disabled Persons Draft Convention on the Rights of Persons with disabilities World Health Organization (WHO) United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) The State of the World's Children 2006 - UNICEF UN Women Watch