International Day of Persons with Disabilities

As with other special days of action and remembrance, the International Day of Persons with Disabilities was created to promote an understanding of disability issues and mobilise support for the dignity, rights and well-being of persons with disabilities.

Celebrated throughout the world on 3rd December, it also seeks to increase awareness and encourage the inclusion of impaired people who can face barriers to participating in every aspect of normal life be they political, social, economic and cultural, often resulting in their reduced, or even non-participation.

The focus of 2008’s Day is ‘Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities: Dignity and Justice for All’ and coincides with the coming into force of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. On this International Day of Persons with Disabilities, as well during the year-long celebration of the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, World Vision along with many others are using “dignity and justice for all of us” as a rallying call, because the principles now enshrined in the Convention are far from being realised for everyone.

Dignity and justice are embodied in the civil, cultural, economic, political, and social rights promoted by the Convention. Therefore, this International Day of Persons with Disabilities is a time to make a renewed commitment to the ratification and full implementation of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and its Optional Protocol.

International days provide opportunities for participation by all interested communities – governmental, non-governmental and the private sector – to focus upon activities that will implement international norms and standards that promote a disabled person's dignity and human rights.