International Day of Persons with Disability

Almost 10% of world’s population live with disability. They often face barriers, stigma and discrimination in their communities. They often do not get access to fulfill their basic rights such as food, education, employment or health services.
United Nation has commitment to ensure the full and equal enjoyment of all human rights for all people in the world including persons with disability. Adopting Standard Rules on Equalization of Opportunities for Persons with Disability and The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disability and established the World Programme of Action concerning Disabled People are some efforts have been done by the UN to support the empowerment and integration persons with disability in all aspects of society around the world.
On 14 October1982 the UN General Assembly proclaimed 3 December as the International Day of Persons with Disability. The proclamation of the Day is meant to promote an understanding of disability issues, the rights of persons with disability and efforts to integrate persons with disability in every aspects of life of their communities.
Many activities are usually held by organizations either governmental n or non-governmental, education institutions and private sector to observe the Day such as public discussions and information campaigns that focusing on disability issues and how persons with disability and their families can contribute in every aspects of their communities. We can find also performances of persons with disability that show their varied skills, interests and aspirations.
The observance of the Day has different theme every year. And the theme of the international day of persons with disability this year is “Making the MDGs Inclusive : Empowerment persons with disability and their communities around the world”.
We know MDGs (Millennium Development Goals) are eight international development goals that have been agreed by the 192 signatories of the commitment to achieve in the year 2015. The MDGs foster actions to reduce most serious development problems of countries around the world.
The MDGs are specifically designed to fulfill the needs of poor citizens and marginal population of the world. According to the World Bank’s findings disability is associated with 20% of global poverty. Which means persons with disability and their families should be integrated into the MDG’s programmes, policies, monitoring and evaluations.
Although many commitment have been made to integrate persons with disability into all development activities, nationally or internationally. But with various reason the integration process often can not be realized. Of course it can hinder the achievement of development goals. The same situation happens also in the implementation of the MDGs. Currently, the implementation process of MDG do not specifically include disability issue and persons with disability.
The theme of the international day of person with disability 2009 aims ”insisting” policy makers to begin considering disability issue in the implementation of the MDGs. So that the MDGs can be more inclusive and be achieved successfully by including persons with disability and their families.
A strategy suggested by the UN ENABLE to eliminate hindrances of persons with disability to integrate into achievement process of development goals including MDGs is Community- Based Rehabilitation (CBR).
CBR which is practiced by over 90 countries links between persons with disability and development initiatives. As a strategy that empowers persons with disability and their family members CBR is inclusive for persons with disability, flexible, dynamic and adaptable to different socio-economic conditions, terrain, cultures and political systems throughout the world.
The implementation of CBR combines efforts of persons with disability, their families, communities and relevant organizations either governmental or non-governmental that work in development sectors. By empowering persons with disability through community actions, CBR ensures they have same rights and opportunities as other community members.
Related to the theme of the international day of persons with disability this year , CBR can be considered also as a strategy to implement the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disability and similar national legislations of countries which have not ratified the Convention yet.
Persons with disability are not object of development. They do have impairment but many of them have also potential ability that might be useful to achieve development goals. They can be subject of development activities only if they get opportunity. We better begin to give them opportunity to participate and contribute in all aspects of life including in development activities. Together with persons with disability we can achieve development goals as we expect and create a better world for all human being.

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