The number of disabled people around the world is gradually increasing. Only in Russia it will soon be 10 million people, and in Ukraine it is equal to three million. The number of chronic diseases has increased, the aging of the population in the developed countries is taking place. Everyone knows that any person in old age has an increased risk of seriously getting sick or getting a dangerous injury. According to statistics, about 3.8% of people worldwide for various reasons have a severe form of disability. The number of children with disabilities is very high. That is why many public organizations are increasingly concerned about the problem of the adaptation of disabled people to life in our complex society.
History of the day
If you ask outside the casual passer-by, what day is the disabled person, only a few will be able to give you the correct answer. Most healthy people are not even aware of its existence. The UN Assembly in 1981 proclaimed the International Year of Disabled Persons, and then in 1983 the Decade of Disabled Persons. It was urged to change the very approach to the problems of people with disabilities, to protect their human rights for a normal life. On December 14, 1992, the following decision was taken at the UN Assembly - to celebrate the International Day of Disabled Persons on December 3 every year. On this day, in all states that are members of this largest organization, mass events should be held. They should be aimed at the maximum improvement of the lives of these people, the quick resolution of all urgent problems, and their speedy integration into the normal life of our society.
It is very good that this authoritative international organization did not confine itself to the documents adopted, and constantly raises this issue at its summits. An important role for many people was played by the adoption of resolution 48/96, which listed the Standard Rules ensuring equal opportunities for all disabled people. It was adopted at the UN General Assembly on December 20, 1993. It is very bad that in reality articles of these Rules, local officials are slow to implement. If this happened, then there would not be that terrible infringement of the rights of people with disabilities, which we are constantly seeing in our lives. Celebrating the day of the disabled reminds us that a lot of people need serious help. Because of the indifference of our stale authorities, they are forced to spend almost their entire lives in four walls.
On the streets of our cities you will see far fewer invalids than the countries of the West. This is not because we have less of such people than they do. This fact only indicates that there are no elementary amenities that city authorities in the civilized world could create for their citizens with disabilities. The press repeatedly told us that most of the doorways are so narrow that standard wheelchairs do not pass normally. You can count the stairs on the fingers, equipped with platforms for descent. Public transport is not suitable for disabled people. And the strollers themselves are so outdated,
The International Day of Persons with Disabilities is celebrated precisely in order to make our authorities remember the problems of these people and at least somehow try to help them. They need not only elementary medical treatment, but also a simple understanding. The public should constantly monitor the work of the regional and city leadership, as far as possible, helping to realize in life all articles of the Standard Rules adopted by the UN even twenty years ago. Just need to do it not only on this particular day, but throughout the year, only then you can achieve real results in this matter.