The International Day of Persons with Disabilities, established by the United Nations, gives governments, organisations and societies the opportunity to focus their attention on the rights and potential of people with disabilities. It aims to promote understanding of disability issues and to mobilise support for the dignity and well-being of these persons. It also seeks to draw attention to the fact that the benefit of including persons with disabilities in every aspect of life is universal and concerns us all.
According to the Division for Social Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities, one in six citizens in the European Union faces some type of disability. The World Health Organization reports that more than one billion people are persons with disabilities, while about 190,000,000 face significant difficulties in their daily lives.
A new analysis by the UCLA (University of California, Los Angeles) Fielding School of Public Health examines the extent to which the Convention has been implemented in the ten years that have passed.
Among other findings, it states that:
– Only one in four countries (24%) have constitutions that explicitly prohibit discrimination against persons with disabilities or guarantee equal rights for these persons.
– Only 18% of countries constitutionally protect the right of persons with disabilities to work, with the result that unemployment is higher among these persons. However, the situation is gradually improving in the field of employment, as the international trend towards non-discrimination against persons with disabilities in workplaces is strengthening.
– Only 26% of countries have a constitution that explicitly guarantees the right of persons with disabilities to health. Only 11% of countries provide paid leave for parents to look after the health needs of their children with disabilities.
Every year this day gives society another opportunity to focus its attention on the rights and potential of persons with disabilities, thereby improving their quality of life and implementing reforms that will develop new prospects for their social inclusion.
As part of the ELSA Greece “Human Rights Campaign”.
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