This year's International Day of Persons with Disabilities also falls alongside the 10th anniversary of the adoption of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
With are partners across the A Day For All campaign, we invite everyone to join persons with disabilities around the world to celebrate what unites us all: being part of human diversity.
The time is ripe for persons with disability to be fully included in society. And the world is listening: on December 3rd last year, the #aday4all hashtag became the most popular across the internet, thanks to the countless people who shared stories, videos, information, photos or personal reflections about embracing disabilities as part of human diversity.
This year, let’s keep growing the movement. Every day there are more people around the world embracing diversity. This is not only a matter of rights, but also about understanding diversity as one of our biggest assets. In order to unleash our social potential, we must leave behind fears and historical negative perceptions towards disabilities, and welcome instead a culture of inclusion.
Vladimir Cuk, IDA's Executive Director, spoke on behalf of civil society during the opening session and High-Level Panel meeting to commemorate the tenth anniversary of the adption of the CRPD, which also included messages from UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon, the President of the General Assembly H.E. Peter Thomson, Catalina Devandas the Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities, as well as celebrated singer-songwriter Stevie Wonder. IDA participate in further events around the UN in New York celebration of the International Day, including discussions on technology, cities, employment and culutral inclusion, as well as events in Geneva organised under the partnership for A Day for All.
Vladimir Cuk was also presesnted with the G3ict Digital Accessibility Leadership Award during the afternoon session.
