Advancing Disability Inclusion Today and Every Day
By Whitney Bailey, Content Manager at Diversability
Today, we’re joining people and organizations around the world to celebrate the International Day of People with Disabilities (IDPD)*. Observed annually on December 3rd, IDPD was proclaimed in 1992 by the United Nations General Assembly to "promote the rights and well-being of persons with disabilities in all spheres of society and development, and to increase awareness of the situation of persons with disabilities in every aspect of political, social, economic and cultural life".
In 2020, the UN’s theme was “Building Back Better: toward a disability-inclusive, accessible and sustainable post-COVID-19 World”.
2020 could be described as a whirlwind year for everyone. Many people in the disability community have said that the pandemic has provided non-disabled people a glimpse into some of the situations that disabled people face on a regular basis. People with disabilities in the world are among the hardest hit by COVID-19, due to many health, social and environmental barriers, discriminatory attitudes, and inaccessible infrastructure. The World Health Organization (WHO) has highlighted that we need to ensure that disabled people are not left behind in COVID response and our community’s right to equal access to healthcare.
We asked our Diversability community: How do we as a community ‘Build back better: toward an inclusive, accessible and sustainable’ post-COVID-19? Here’s what they said.
Image descriptions: the quotes below on a blue background next to their headshots.
Speak Up, Speak out!
“Society can build a back better for the disability community by speaking out and sharing their experiences in bringing awareness to what really goes on within the community and within our society as a whole.”
- Tylia Flores, disability advocate
Do Your Research, Be Prepared.
“Building (back better) means that the disability community needs to have their “ask’s” and needs ready to be stated. It’s great to think about building back better when we have all these ideas floating around but nothing concise that allows for individuals to have what they need to be a part of the conversation.”
- Andrea Dalzell, “The Seated Nurse”
Communicate and Collaborate.
“Building back better requires an effort to communicate and collaborate between all communities. Belonging is a human right for all members of society.”
- Jaime Ade, Founder of Cerebral Palsy Sunrise
Today, we are celebrating disability inclusion. We hope you'll join us in committing to action on the other 364 days as well. Our friend Emily Ladau said it best on LinkedIn:
...but here’s the thing: disabled people exist, like anyone, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. We exist and yet we’re largely overlooked...
So what will you do tomorrow when IDPwD wraps up and disabled people are still here just as we’ve always been? Will you see us as pitiable, as charity cases, as less than whole, as a group to recognize a few times a year? Or will you commit to uplifting and amplifying disabled perspectives until inclusion is no longer a special initiative or program?
* also referred to as International Day of Persons with Disabilities, International Day of Disabled Persons, World Disability Day, International Day of Disability (and maybe some others!)