International Day of People with Disabilities
Each year the School of Mathematics, Statistics and Physics celebrates International Day of People with Disabilities.
Living with a disability
According to the WHO World Report on Disability, 15 per cent of the world’s population, or more than 1 billion people, are living with a disability. Of this number, it’s estimated 450 million are living with a mental or neurological condition. Two-thirds of these people will not seek professional medical help, largely due to:
- stigma
- discrimination
- neglect
International Day of People with Disabilities
To highlight this message, the UN has marked the International Day of People with Disabilities every 3 December since 1992. It aims to spread the word on disability issues and mobilise support for the dignity, rights and well-being of people with disabilities. The day also aims to draw attention to the benefits to society as a whole of including persons with disabilities in every aspect of life:
- political
- social
- economic
- cultural
Not all disabilities are visible
The theme in 2020 - ‘Not all Disabilities are Visible’ - focused on spreading awareness and understanding of disabilities that are not immediately apparent. Examples of these disabilities could be:
- mental illness
- chronic pain or fatigue
- sight or hearing impairments
- diabetes
- brain injuries
- neurological disorders
- learning differences
- cognitive dysfunctions