The International Day of Persons with Disabilities (IDPD), established by the United Nations in 1992 and observed annually on December 3rd, aims to raise awareness and mobilize support for the inclusion, rights, and well-being of persons with disabilities. 

The 2023 theme is "United in action to rescue and achieve the Sustainable Development Goals for, with and by persons with disabilities." This is a time to celebrate the people with disabilities in your life, share your experiences, or examine the ways that ableism works against them.

Support for people with disabilities at Health Care for the Homeless

Employee Assistance Program (EAP) - five free counselling sessions, unlimited crisis counselling, legal assistance, and access to community resources

Resources for staying healthy while working at home

Learn about your rights to accommodations at work under the Americans with Disabilities Act

Trivia

Join us for trivia, and you might win a prize! Answer 9 questions by Monday, December 11th at 5 PM to join in the fun! All participants will be entered into a raffle for a prize to a local establishment!

TAKE THE QUIZ HERE

Read, watch, listen

Key Facts

Disability is a natural aspect of human diversity that shapes our experiences of the world. It is a reality that most of us will eventually encounter, yet individuals with disabilities continue to face marginalization and discrimination. Explore some key facts related to this experience below.

Learn More at:

Factsheet on Persons with Disabilities

Facts About Americans with Disabilities

Disability Key Facts

Hidden Disabilities

Hidden or invisible disabilities are not immediately apparent but can significantly impact daily life and functioning. Recognizing and including individuals with hidden disabilities is crucial because these conditions often require understanding and accommodations that are not physically evident. Learning more about invisible disabilities is important to foster a more inclusive and empathetic society, where individuals are supported based on their needs rather than visible cues alone.

Learn more at:

What is an invisible disability? [Video]

What Happens When You’re Disabled but Nobody Can Tell

Bringing Visibility to Invisible Disabilities | Awareness and Education  [Video]

Invisible Disabilities

ADA's passage, what it means to these Americans with disabilities

The Americans with Disabilities Act was passed in 1990 after years of work from disabled activists. This legislation marks a significant milestone in civil rights, prohibiting discrimination against people with disabilities in various aspects of public life. The ADA's approach to accessibility and inclusion has been crucial in promoting the dignity, rights, and well-being of persons with disabilities while also highlighting what work still needs to be done.

Learn more at:

Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA): Meaning, History, and Impact

Commemorating 30 Years of the Americans with Disabilities Act [Video]

Maryland Disability Resources and Advocacy Organizations

How the ADA Changed the Built World | Crip Camp | Netflix [Video]

Judy Heumann: The Mother of ADA [Video]

Explore More Narratives

Video: How Marriage Puts Disabled People at Risk of Losing Their Health Care Benefits

'If I get married, then I lose my personal care’ — Here’s how marriage can strip disabled individuals of their benefits and what disability rights advocates say must be done to address this inequality.

Video: An Autistic Mom with Two Autistic Kids

“Special Books by Special Kids” is a series by Christopher Ulmer, interviewing children and adults with a wide range of disabilities. In this video you can hear from Jasmine, who was diagnosed with autism at age 32. Check out some of SBSK’s other videos to hear firsthand experiences from people with physical, developmental, and invisible disabilities.

Podcast: Disability Rights Are Civil Rights

Pod for the Cause host Ashley Allison welcomes Vilissa Thompson, creator of #DisabilityTooWhite and founder of RampYourVoice, to discuss how disability rights are civil rights — and how we should all hold each other accountable for disability discrimination, both within the movement and our lives. Thompson makes the case for why we should all speak up about the intersection of racism and disability rights.

Video: Why was it illegal to be “ugly”? | PBS: Origin of Everything

The American legal system has long been used to dehumanize visibly disabled and disfigured people, in an attempt to push people with disabilities out of public life and, in the past, relegate them to institutions and sideshows. As detailed in this video from PBS, the last documented arrest under an “ugly law” was in 1974 in Omaha, NE, when a police officer arrested a homeless man under the state’s outdated “unsightly beggar ordinance.” The long legacy of so-called “ugly laws” stretched far into the modern day, and repealing these state and local ordinances dovetailed with disabled activists’ work in the 1970s and the rise of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Video: Overcoming Ableism: What You Don't Know As An Able Bodied Person

Naty Rico shares her story of struggles over the past 3 years at UCIrvine and the hopes she has for the future. Naty Rico is a third year Sociology and Education double major. She was born and raised in South Los Angeles, to parents who immigrated here from Mexico. As a first generation, Latina woman with a physical disability, Naty managed to get accepted and enroll into UCI in 2012, with the help of her community back home.

International Day of Persons with Disabilities 2023 Events

4 December 2023: OER Dynamic Coalition Webinar for the International Day for Persons with Disabilities at UNESCO Headquarters, Paris, France. Source

4 December 2023: USICD Gala to Celebrate the International Day of Persons with Disabilities from 6 - 8:30pm EST. Source

6 December 2023: UNESCO Webinar on Disability Equality in Media at UNESCO Headquarters, Paris, France. Source

7 December 2023: Flipping the Narrative - A Celebration of Disability and Entrepreneurship from 5:30 - 8:30pm EST. Source

9 December 2023: Volunteers needed for CLUB1111 starting at 4pm EST. Source

10 January 2024: Seasonal Depression: What You Need to Know from 6 - 7pm EST. Source

13 January 2024: Ethics and Employment Rights for People with Mental Health Conditions from 9:30am - 4

Regular events from the National ADA Center Network