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International Day of Persons with Disabilities | Article by Dhritimoni Goswami

International Day of Persons with Disabilities

        Every year December 3rd is celebrated as the International Day of Persons with 
Disabilities (IDPD).Prior to that, it was named “International Day of Disabled Persons.” A resolution was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 1992, towards the annual observance of this day on December 3rd. The day's celebrations are primarily aimed at spreading awareness on issues relating to disability and generating support for the differently abled people. It is also an occasion for educating these specially-abled people about their rights. 

        When we talk about disability, it is a condition of the body or mind that makes it difficult for the person having such conditions, to perform certain tasks like other people around them  or communicate with the world around them. 

There are many kinds of disabilities affecting an individual: 

• Vision Impairment

• Physical disability

• Learning disability

• Hearing Impairment

• Mental illness

• Speech impairment etc, to name a few.

        For disorders like Asperger Syndrome, Down Syndrome, Multiple Sclerosis and Muscular Dystrophy, the disability is prominent. However, as per the World Health Organization, different level of disability is almost 15 percent of the world's population, which would be  as many as 1 billion people. 

        Every year different themes are taken for the International Day of People with Disabilities. Likewise, the theme of 2020 is “Building Back Better: towards a disability-inclusive, accessible and sustainable post COVID-19 World.” During the observation this year, the effect of the COVID-19 crisis on people with disabilities, was discussed, emphasizing the perspectives of people with disabilities.

        For the strong-willed, disability is no obstacle. There are many individuals who, despite their disability, have achieved success. Noted Astrophysicist, Cosmologist, and Author Stephen William Hawking who despite his condition of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) that confined him to his wheelchair for several years, astounded the world with his theories on the nature of cosmos, besides authoring some best-selling books and appearing in a couple of TV series; like - "Big Bang Theory,”  "Star Trek: The Next Generation," "The Simpsons and Stephen Hawking's Universe."

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Dhritimoni Goswami
MSc. Zoology,3rd Semester, 
Assam DonBosco University, 
Tepesia.





Illustration : Manbini Das

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