3 December 2012 - International Day of Persons with Disabilities “Removing barriers to create an inclusive and accessible society for all”

The commemoration of International Day of Persons with Disabilities on 3 December 2012 provides a great opportunity to promote accessibility and removing all types of barriers in society towards the over one billion people with disability in the world (according to UN statistics).

Accessibility and inclusion of persons with disabilities are fundamental rights recognized by the CRPD. Besides being objectives, they are also pre-requisites for the fully enjoyment of other rights. The CRPD (Article 9, accessibility) aims at enable persons with disabilities to live independently and participate fully in all aspects of life.

The main theme of IDPD 2012 is “Removing barriers to create an inclusive and accessible society for all”. Furthermore, sub-themes can be selected to cover many aspects of society such as removing barriers to education, employment, transportation, travel and tourism or sports.

The UN identifies 4 steps:

1) Include: Observance of the Day provides opportunities for participation by all stakeholders – Governments, the UN system, civil society and organizations of persons with disabilities – to focus on issues related to the removal of barriers to create an inclusive and accessible society that would benefit all.

2) Organize: Hold forums, public discussions and information campaigns in support of the themes of IDPD 2012 to find innovative ways and means by which barriers to the inclusion of persons with disabilities and their families can be broken down.

3) Celebrate: Plan and organize performances everywhere to showcase - and celebrate - the contributions made by persons with disabilities as agents of change and development in the communities in which they live.

4) Take Action: A major focus of the Day is practical action that would help to remove barriers that limit accessibility for and participation by persons with disabilities in all aspects of society and development.  Highlight progress and obstacles in creating accessible and inclusive society, including in terms of physical environments, information and communications technology and other areas, as well as promote public awareness of existing barriers to the full inclusion of persons with disabilities in their societies.

If you are commemorating the International Day of Persons with Disabilities in your community and would like to share an innovative idea that includes other stakeholders, such as your Government, a UN agency, an NGO/DPO or a community you can submit your ideas to enable@un.org. Your idea will be showcased in the Enable website (UN website dedicated to disability issues) to inform and inspire others to do the same.

For more detailled information please click here or visit the Enable website