International Day of Persons with Disabilities offers hope for a more accessible future
Thursday 3rd December marks the International Day of Persons with Disabilities (IDPWD) with the aim this year to highlight the need for a more disability-inclusive and accessible post-COVID world.
This year’s theme is ‘Not All Disabilities Are Visible’ and is helping to raise awareness of disabilities which may not be immediately apparent but can still have an impact on people’s lives.
These include people with disabilities who have been particularly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and the isolation and diminished services which they have experienced as a result.
The annual IDPWD was first announced by the United Nations (UN) in 1992 and aims to break down barriers to inclusion and fight for the rights of individuals with disabilities.
According to the World Health Organisation, around 15 per cent of the world’s population – or more than one billion people – are considered to have some form of disability.
For the UN, spreading awareness of disabilities, particularly those that are not always immediately apparent, is crucial as the world continues to fight against the virus.
To mark the day, numerous British companies are showing their support for the disability community through a range of initiatives.
Fashion retailer River Island is raising money for Newlife the Charity for Disabled Children for every ‘like’ it receives on a dedicated social post on the @Riverisland Instagram page.
It follows Tuesday’s announcement of the disabled children’s charity’s Christmas campaign to raise money for its equipment services for disabled children in need.
Tomcat, a specialist in accessible trikes, have published a case study to coincide with today that reflects on its disability innovations over the past 24 years and export successes.
Zurich became the first UK insurer to publish its disability pay gap information today, revealing that its mean disability pay gap in hourly pay is 17.6 per cent, which reflects a 0.6 per cent point increase from 2019.
The Lawn Tennis Association reiterated its commitment to helping disabled people get active and play tennis through its sector-leading Open Court programme, which aims to make tennis more relevant, accessible, welcoming and enjoyable for disabled people through its network of UK venues.
These are just some of the organisations helping to draw attention to the benefits to society of including people with disabilities in every aspect of political, social, economic and cultural life.
