International Day of People with Disabilities 2021

Friday, December 03, 2021

By Maddie Crowley

Friday, December 3rd, is an important day for the disability world. December 3, 2021, marks the 29th anniversary of its proclamation by the United Nations (UN) as the International Day of Persons with Disabilities. This day strives to bring awareness to the experiences of people with disabilities around the globe, promoting the disability community’s rights, dignity, safety, wellbeing, and success. It also calls attention to the importance of civil and social action for the inclusion and advancement of disabled peoples. With more than 1 billion people with disabilities globally, it is a necessity to pay attention to the treatment of people with disabilities and recognize where there is more work left to do (WHO).  

Oftentimes, people think disability has a negative connotation. Due to historical and institutional discrimination and barriers, people with disabilities experience more hardships. Around the globe, people with disabilities struggle to see equitable access to healthcare, education, employment, housing, voting, and more. Of the 1 billion people with disabilities globally, 80% live in developing countries (United Nations). Individuals with disabilities are most likely to experience poverty, food insecurity, lack of vital medical services, and unemployment. These barriers keep the disability population separated and left behind worldwide. Until we move towards a disability-inclusive, accessible, and sustainable world, we will continue to see these inequities persist.

This has held especially true during the COVID-19 pandemic, where we have seen people with disabilities and elders impacted most severely. People with disabilities are not disposable, and the disability community deserves the same rights, dignity, and safety as general population in pandemic response efforts.

Moving forward, our society must center the past, present, and future experiences of individuals with disabilities. People with disabilities deserve to live in the community and have full involvement in societal matters. We must bring disabled experiences to the forefront of discussions about healthcare, government, education, and other important social sectors. Disabled involvement, and most importantly – disabled leadership, is invaluable in these sectors, if we wish to see a change in the treatment of people with disabilities and equity actualized.

International Day of Persons with Disabilities in your backyard

Although disability inclusion and equity are global issues, they are local issues, as well. There are over 21 million individuals with disabilities living in Florida (US Census). Disability Rights Florida, the state’s designated Protected and Advocacy (P&A) system for individuals with disabilities, has a similar mission to the International Day of Persons with Disabilities. It is our responsibility and privilege to advocate and ensure the safety, wellbeing, and success of people with disabilities. Our staff works hard to ensure this mission holds across the entire state of Florida.

In 2021, Disability Rights Florida  has made strides to increase disabled voters' access to the polls, provide people with disabilities with information and opportunities to learn about COVID-19 and get vaccinated, provide opportunities and resources for those under Guardianships and promote alternatives to Guardianship such as Supported Decision Making, protect the rights of students with disabilities from harmful and illegal use of the Baker Act, and ensure the dignity of incarcerated folks with disabilities. We will not stop working until we see that the lives of Floridians with disabilities are fully valued and given the same access as the general population.

Learn more about your rights through our Disability Topics page. If you need assistance or services, visit our How To Get Help page on our website.

We provide services and resources in areas including:

• health care
• education
• transportation
• voting
• housing
• employment, and
• within the juvenile and criminal justice systems.

We wish you a joyful and reflective International Day of Persons with Disabilities, and we are honored to work for you.

Share your International Day of Persons with Disabilities celebrations with us!

Tag us in a message on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn, sharing what International Day of Persons with Disabilities means to you. What are you proud of? What are your hopes for the future? We’d love to hear from you.

Want to connect and attend some global events? Check out the United Nation’s website to find ones that interest you.