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Nuneaton & Bedworth Borough Council,
Town Hall, Coton Road,
Nuneaton, Warwickshire,
CV11 5AA
Town Hall, Coton Road,
Nuneaton, Warwickshire,
CV11 5AA
Tel: 024 7637 6376
International Day of Disabled People
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What is the UN International Day of Disabled People?
The United Nations General Assembly announced that the 3rd December is to be observed every year as the International Day of Disabled Persons. The Day was initially proclaimed to commemorate the anniversary of the General Assembly's adoption of the World Programme of Action concerning Persons with Disabilities to promote understanding about disability issues and to increase awareness.
The UN Programme on Disability is the lead programme on disability within the United Nations System. It is housed in the Division for Social Policy and Development at the Department of Economic and Social Affairs of the UN Secretariat. The programme stems from the World Programme of Action concerning Disabled Persons adopted by the United Nations in 1982 and the Standard Rules on Equalisation of Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities adopted in 1994.
The major objectives of the Programme are the following:
Ø To support the full and effective participation of persons with disabilities in social life and development
Ø To advance the rights and protect the dignity of persons with disabilities
Ø To promote equal access to employment, education, information, goods and services
The International Year of Disabled Persons, 1981, was a milestone in the long history of the struggle of people with disabilities against discrimination and segregation, and for equal rights. The World Programme of Action concerning Disabled Persons recognised disabled persons first and foremost as citizens vested with all the rights and obligations that this implied. For the next 50 years, the United Nations’ commitment to ‘a society for all’ will continue to make a difference in the lives not only of people with disabilities, but among all people.
What is a disability?
The World Health Organisation defines it as Disability is a ‘restriction or lack (resulting from an impairment) of ability to perform an activity in the manner or within the range considered normal for a human being’. It describes a functional limitation or activity restriction caused by impairment. Disabilities are descriptions of disturbances in function at the level of the person’.
The Disability Discrimination Act 1995 (DDA), which prohibits unlawful discrimination against a disabled person in employment, defines disability as: 'a physical or mental impairment that has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on the ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities'
What is the Social Model of Disability?
Most companies now adopt the Social Model of Disability. Disabled people created this themselves out of their own experiences. It was initially defined as:
‘Disability is caused by social organisation which takes little or no account of people who have impairments and thus excludes them from participation in the mainstream of social activities’.
(Fundamental Principles of Disability, UPIAS ,1976)
The Social Model is basically a more positive approach to a disability. Here disability is viewed as something, which is imposed on people with impairments (whether they have a physical impairment, sensory impairment, learning difficulty or mental health issue) by a society, which creates barriers to equality. For disabled people, this is a more positive approach to disability.
The Council and Disability Equality
The Council for many years has been working with disabled people in order to improve their lives and the services that the Council provides to them.
This process was formalised and welcomed by the Council in December 2006 when the Disability Equality Duty was introduced, requiring the Council to produce a Disability Equality Scheme. In this, the Council has committed itself to the Social Model of Disability and also the following principles:
Ø Eliminate unlawful disability discrimination
Ø Eliminate disability related harassment
Ø Promote equality of opportunities
Ø Promote positive attitudes towards disabled persons
Ø Encourage participation by disabled people in public life
