As quiet of a tribe as they are and often overlooked, December celebrates the “International Day of People with Disability”. This annual observance of the International Day of Persons with Disabilities (IDPD) in December was proclaimed in 1992 by the United Nations General Assembly resolution 47/3. According to the WHO, World Health Organization, the day is about promoting the rights and well-being of persons with disabilities at every level of society and development, and to raise awareness of the situation of persons with disabilities in all aspects of political, social, economic, and cultural life. Whether it's equal access to health, education, employment or other areas, people with disabilities are a diverse community offering different insights to enable their community to pursue individual and shared goals. WHO joins the UN in observing this day each year, reinforcing the importance of securing the rights of people with disabilities, so they can participate fully, equally and effectively in society with others, and face no barriers in all aspects 

of their lives. A disability, according to Merriam Webster, is defined as a physical, mental, cognitive, or developmental condition that impairs, interferes with, or limits a person's ability to engage in certain tasks or actions or participate in typical daily activities and interactions

 

Statistics: According to the World Health Organization {WHO} 

  • There are more than 1 billion disable people in the world.  
  • 253 million people are affected by some form of blindness and visual impairment. This represents 3.2% of the world’s population. 
  • 466 million people have a disabling deafness and hearing loss. This represents 6% of the world’s population
  •  About 200 million people have an intellectual disability (IQ below 75). This represents 2.6% of the world’s population. 
  •  75 million people need a wheelchair daily. This represents 1% of the world’s population. 

In speaking with a member of the church, Joshua Generation Global Apostolic Center, these are some of the issues that are dealt with daily for this member:

  • Mobility impairment: Difficulty navigating around in certain surroundings not earmarked for the disabled
  • Finding bathrooms for people in wheelchairs that can actually accommodate the wheelchair
  • Medical buildings and facilities not equipped for the disabled
  • Need for more automatic doors and ramps for easier accessibility
  • Economic survival: many disabled people live beneath the poverty line
  • People believing that the disabled are “lazy”

The next time a disabled person crosses your path, smile and ask if you can help them.

 

For more information, you can contact, www.ipdwd.org