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Since 1992, the United Nations' (UN) International Day of Persons with Disabilities is annually held on December 3. It aims to increase the understanding of the issues around disabilities and attention to the dignity, rights and well-being of persons with disabilities.

It also aims to increase the awareness of the gains for everybody if disabled persons are integrated into all aspects of political, social, economic and cultural life and raising money for resources for persons with disabilities.
What do people do?

Many events are held on and around the International Day of Persons with Disabilities on December 3 each year. Many of these events aim to involve groups of people from all sections of society in upholding the rights of persons with disabilities and to celebrate the contributions by persons with disabilities to their communities.

Other events take the form of protests to highlight the difficulties disabled people have in playing a full role in society. Examples of events include: forums with experts and disabled persons; public discussions; the presentation of information campaigns; exhibitions of art created by disabled people; social gatherings; and fundraising activities to raise money to support disabled people.

Background

The United Nations Decade of Disabled Persons was held from 1983 to 1992 to enable governments and organizations to implement measures to improve the life of disabled persons all over the world. On October 14, 1992, as this decade drew to a close, the UN General Assembly proclaimed December 3 as the International Day of Disabled Persons. This day was first observed on December 3, 1992. On December 18, 2007, the assembly changed the observance's name from the "International Day of Disabled Persons" to the "International Day of Persons with Disabilities". The new name was first used in 2008.

Each year the International Day of Disabled Persons or International Day of Persons with Disabilities focuses on a particular theme. These themes have been: "Arts, Culture and Independent Living" (1998); "Accessibility for all for the new Millennium" (1999); "Making information technologies work for all" (2000); "Full participation and equality: the call for new approaches to assess progress and evaluate outcome" (2001); "Independent living and sustainable livelihoods" (2002); "A voice of our own" (2003); "Nothing about Us without Us" (2004); "Rights of persons with disabilities: action in development" (2005); "E-Accessibility" (2006); "Decent work for persons with disabilities" (2007); and "Convention on the rights of persons with disabilities: dignity and justice for all of us" (2008).