International Day of Persons with Disabilities 2021

December 3, 2021

Each year on December 3, people around the world observe the International Day of Persons with Disabilities.

Established by the United Nations in 1992, the goal of this annual observance is to promote the rights and well-being of persons with disabilities in all aspects of society.

The theme this year is Leadership and participation of persons with disabilities toward an inclusive, accessible, and sustainable post-COVID-19 world.

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the Commission has worked to address the many attitudinal, environmental, and systemic barriers faced by Saskatchewan people with disabilities. It supports the efforts of the Disability Service Alliance in addressing the needs of people with disabilities living in Northern Saskatchewan. Its members serve on numerous disability advisory committees, have contributed perspective to proposed accessibility legislation  intended to address accessibility-related and built environment needs, and have advanced systemic advocacy initiatives – Renters in Receipt of Public Assistance, The Accessible Built Environment, D/deaf and Hard of Hearing, and Students with Reading Disabilities –pertaining to the rights, access, and equality of people with disabilities in this province.

As 22.2% of Saskatchewan’s population aged 15 to 74 self report disability[1], there is still much to do. We must work together to create a more inclusive, accessible future for Saskatchewan. A future in which every person can participate fully in the community, and no one is left behind.

 

[1] The Daily — Canadian Survey on Disability, 2017 (statcan.gc.ca)