Humans are not perfect beings and no two humans are alike. While a large number of us are ‘normal’, there are over 1 billion people, making up about 15% of the world’s population who are ‘differently-abled’ or have some form of disability (source:www.worldbank.org). Every year, 3rd December is observed as International Day of Persons with Disabilities and this day was first observed in the year 1992 by the United Nations. Each year this day is observed, it is aimed to create awareness about the situation of persons with various disabilities in all spheres of their lives, and promote the rights of these individuals to bring about the overall development of the society.
The theme for 2019 is ‘Promoting the participation of persons with disabilities and their leadership: taking action on the 2030 Development Agenda’. This theme has been chosen to empower individuals with disabilities for an equitable and sustainable development envisioned in the Agenda for Sustainable Development. People with disabilities are often left behind and face many barriers to inclusion when it comes to vital aspects of society. However, efforts are being put to not just create awareness but to empower these individuals by creating equal opportunities for them to live their lives ‘normally’.
