United Nations International Day of Disabled Persons
- What is the UN International Day?
- What is a disability?
- What is the Social Model of Disability?
- Contact the Equalities Team
Events for 2007
To celebrate International Day of Disabled Persons 2007 we offered free Sports, Gym and Fitness taster sessions for all Disabled People in Haringey at Tottenham Green Leisure Centre. These included:
- Use of our specially equipped Gym
- Taking part in Yoga, Spinning, Funky Dance, Football, Badminton, Swimming, Bums Legs and Tums (BLT) and much, much more
- Meeting our specially trained coaches and taking part in health and fitness sessions designed for disabled people such as Chair Based Exercise, Aerobics for people over 50 and the Multi Activity Training Programme (MATP)
Haringey Sports and Leisure Centres are part of the Inclusive Fitness Initiative (IFI).
|Back to topWhat is the UN International Day?
The United Nations General Assembly announced that 3 December is to be observed every year as the International Day of Disabled Persons. The Day was initially proclaimed to commemorate the anniversary of the General Assembly's adoption of the World Programme of Action concerning Persons with Disabilities to promote understanding about disability issues and to increase awareness.
The UN Programme on Disability is the lead programme on disability within the United Nations System. It is housed in the Division for Social Policy and Development at the Department of Economic and Social Affairs of the UN Secretariat. The programme stems from the World Programme of Action concerning Disabled Persons adopted by the United Nations in 1982 and the Standard Rules on Equalisation of Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities adopted in 1994.
The major objectives of the Programme are the following:
- To support the full and effective participation of persons with disabilities in social life and development
- To advance the rights and protect the dignity of persons with disabilities
- To promote equal access to employment, education, information, goods and services
The International Year of Disabled Persons, 1981, was a milestone in the long history of the struggle of people with disabilities against discrimination and segregation, and for equal rights. The World Programme of Action concerning Disabled Persons recognised disabled persons first and foremost as citizens vested with all the rights and obligations that this implied. For the next 50 years, the United Nations’ commitment to ‘a society for all’ will continue to make a difference in the lives not only of people with disabilities, but among all people.
|Back to topWhat is a disability?
The World Health Organisation defines it as Disability is a ‘restriction or lack (resulting from an impairment) of ability to perform an activity in the manner or within the range considered normal for a human being’. It describes a functional limitation or activity restriction caused by impairment. Disabilities are descriptions of disturbances in function at the level of the person’.
The Disability Discrimination Act 1995 (DDA), which prohibits unlawful discrimination against a disabled person in employment, defines disability as: 'a physical or mental impairment that has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on the ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities'.
|Back to topWhat is the Social Model of Disability?
Most companies now adopt the Social Model of Disability. Disabled people created this themselves out of their own experiences. It was initially defined as:
‘Disability is caused by social organisation which takes little or no account of people who have impairments and thus excludes them from participation in the mainstream of social activities’.
(Fundamental Principles of Disability, UPIAS ,1976)
The Social Model is basically a more positive approach to a disability. Here disability is viewed as something, which is imposed on people with impairments (whether they have a physical impairment, sensory impairment, learning difficulty or mental health issue) by a society, which creates barriers to equality. For disabled people, this is a more positive approach to disability.
|Back to topContact
For information on Disability please contact:
Helen Choudhury
Principal Equalities Officer
Equalities and Diversity Team
Chief Executive Service
7th Floor, River Park House
225 High Road
London N22 4HQ
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Update MePage Last Updated: 12th December 2007
This page belongs to the following categories :
- Health and social care > Disabilities
