International Day of Persons with Disability 2019

3 December 2019 marks the International Day of Persons with Disability. This event occurs every year on December 3 and is celebrated all around the world. The aim of this day is to “increase public awareness, understanding and acceptance of people with disability, and celebrate their achievements and contributions” (IDPWD, 2018).

This day is an initiative of the United Nations and has been celebrated worldwide since 1992.

This year’s theme is The Future is Accessible and will focus on global citizens working together to overcome barriers in order to create a future where people are not excluded based on medical conditions or health impediments.

International Day of Persons with Disability Australia

Approximately 104 countries celebrate International Day for Persons with Disability annually including Australia. Schools, communities and workplaces across the country will be celebrating in various ways.

This year’s patron is none other than Kurt Fearnley, a Paralympic and Commonwealth Games gold medallist. As the 2019 patron, Kurt hopes to encourage Australians to take action and to help change the lives of people with disability: “What I most want to achieve as this years’ patron is for people to use International Day of People with Disability as a launching pad for further action… People with disability are entitled to the same respect, independence and choice as others. We need to talk honestly about the barriers in society that prevent this and work together to break them down” (IDPWD, 2018).

Some Stats

Around the World

• It has been estimated that around 15% of the world’s population lives with a permanent disability – that’s over 1 billion people!

• According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the most common disability in people under the age of 60 is depression, followed by hearing and visual problems (2011).

• People with disabilities are more likely to be disadvantaged economically, and have fewer opportunities for education and employment. They are also more likely to have poorer health outcomes and higher poverty rates (World Bank, 2019).

Australia

• In Australia, over 4 million people have some form of disability.
• 6% of females and 18% of males have disability (AND, 2019).
• People aged between 15 and 64 years with disability have both lower participation (53%) and higher unemployment rates (9.4%) than people without disability (83% and 4.9% respectively) [Ibid.].
• Over 3 million people in this country live with depression or anxiety and 45% of Australians aged 16–85 years experience a mental health condition during their lifetime (ABS, 2008).
• 1 in 6 Australians are affected by hearing loss. There are approximately 30,000 deaf Auslan users with total hearing loss (Access Economics, 2019).
• Vision Australia (2016) estimates that there are currently 357,000 people in Australia who are blind or have low vision. They project that the number of Australians who are blind or have low vision will grow to 564,000 by 2030.

*For Illustration Purposes only. Not for data accuracy

Moving Forward

Given the staggering statistics mentioned above, the importance of International Day of People with Disability is ever so apparent. Global citizens must take the initiative to call out barriers that persons with a disability may face and participate in the call for social inclusion, equality, participation and equal citizenship.

In Australia, the National Disability Strategy 2010–2020 is a nationwide approach aimed at “improving the lives of people with disability, their families and carers, and providing leadership for a community-wide shift in attitudes” (DSS, 2019). This national ten-year framework focuses on better inclusion for people with disability and seeks to create a society that empowers them to realize their full potential and be treated with dignity and equality.

Liverpool to Celebrate International Day of Persons with Disability in Style!

The Liverpool municipality will be celebrating the International Day of Persons with Disability in a variety of ways.

Raising Awareness

Fun for the Whole Family

How We Can Help

Pic from our past event.

Integrity Disability Hub is also a proud advocate for International Day of Persons with Disability. December 3 is just around the corner, and we are thrilled about the events and programs that will be running across the globe, particularly in our own community here in Liverpool.

Our business prides itself on delivering the best in disability care services, and we work hand-in-hand with clients and their families to provide tailored supports for their loved ones.

In light of this year’s theme, we strive to help our clients reduce some of the impediments that may block them from participating fully in personal and social activities. We help our clients develop the skills to live independently and also be autonomous when engaging with their community. We can assist clients to find a job, access educational opportunities and language support.

We have committed and qualified support coordinators who work closely with our clients to help them accomplish their goals and aims. Check out our Services page for more details: https://integritydisability.com.au/services/

References

Access Economics Pty Ltd. (2006). Listen hear! The economic impact and cost of hearing loss in Australia. Retrieved from https://tinyurl.com/yy9823wu

Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). (2008). National survey of mental health summary results (2007, 4326). Retrieved from https://tinyurl.com/y46zgbr3

Australian Network on Disability (AND). (2019). Disability statistics. Retrieved from https://www.and.org.au/resources/disability-statistics/

Department of Social Services (DSS). (2011). 2010-2020 National disability strategy. Retrieved from https://tinyurl.com/y4d5b4a6

International Day of Persons with Disability (IDPWD). (2018). About. Retrieved from https://www.idpwd.com.au/about/

Vision Australia. (2016). Blindness and vision loss. Retrieved from https://tinyurl.com/yxjraup6

World Bank. (2019, Oct. 2). Disability inclusion. Retrieved from https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/disability#1

World Health Organization (WHO). (2011). Summary world report on disability (WHO/NMH/VIP/11.01). Geneva: WHO Press.