UN’s International Day of Persons with Disabilities

Today is the United Nations’ annual International Day of Persons with Disabilities, which aims to promote awareness and mobilise support for critical issues relating to the inclusion of persons with disabilities in society and development.

The day, which has been commemorated since 1992, also works to promote action to raise awareness about disability issues and draw attention to the benefits of an inclusive and accessible society for all.

This obviously reflects the aims and ethos of the UK Sports Association for People with Learning Disability (UKSA) and as such we are proud to support the day.

The annual celebration adopts a theme every year. In 2015, the theme is Inclusion matters: access and empowerment for people of all abilities.

The estimated one billion disabled people worldwide face many barriers to inclusion in many key aspects of society. As a result, disabled people do not enjoy the same access in society as non-disabled people. This includes sports, employment, education as well as social and political participation.

Governments, organisations, academic institutions and the private sector are among those working to celebrate the day.

Here at UKSA, our My Sport, My Voice! project is changing people’s perceptions of people with learning disability in and out of sport. Part of the project is the ‘Change 1 Thing’ campaign.

‘Change 1 Thing’ is stimulating action for change in the workplace, sports clubs and local community, changes that will make organisations and society more inclusive of and accessible to people with learning disability.

UKSA wants to see a society that enables people with learning disability to excel and achieve their full potential. By pledging your support to Change 1 Thing you can help us to make change become a reality.

Pledge to Change 1 Thing by emailing engage@sportexceluk.org and make someone’s life that little bit better today.