December 3 is International Day of Persons with Disabilities, a day of observance established by the United Nations in 1992. Volunteers from around the globe celebrate the day in order to promote inclusion and awareness about disability issues. This year’s theme is “Keeping the promise: Mainstreaming disability in the Millennium Development Goals towards 2015 and beyond.” The focus is on improving the integration of disability issues into the MDG processes and mechanisms; in other words, promoting the inclusion of one of the groups most impacted by achieving the goals.
In August 2010, the Open Hands Initiative took a group of American youth disability advocates to Syria to work with their counterparts on raising awareness of the rights of people with disabilities. Concurrently, the disability experts who led the “Youth Ability Summit” sessions worked together on a manual to promote the UN Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities. The manual will serve as a tool to spread awareness and promote inclusion. Check back soon to download your own copy.
The Open Hands Initiative fully supports the efforts of the United Nations, civil society, and everyone from the private and public sectors who are working to improve awareness of disability rights.
We want to hear from our readers: What are you doing today to promote equality and inclusion?