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Why the citizens of the world should care
To celebrate the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, the United Nations called for greater action to address the challenges faced by people with disabilities, as well as to recognize and address how COVID-19 has disproportionately affected the community.
“On this International Day of Persons with Disabilities, let us all commit to working together to address the obstacles, injustices and discrimination that people with disabilities experience,” UN Secretary General António Guterres said in a statement Thursday. .
The International Day of Persons with Disabilities takes place annually on December 3 and was celebrated for the first time in 1992. The theme for this year’s promotion day is “Rebuild Better”, which emphasizes the need for disability inclusion in the international COVID-19 response and recovery plan.
According to the UN, there are currently one billion people living with disabilities around the world, 80% of whom live in developing countries. They are more likely to live in poverty and experience higher rates of violence, neglect and abuse.
While the COVID-19 crisis has exacerbated many pre-existing inequalities, people with disabilities are among the groups most affected during the pandemic.
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People living with disabilities are at a higher risk of contracting the virus, as they often lack access to safe water and sanitation. Social distancing may also be more difficult for those who rely on physical contact with caregivers or live in group homes.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has also explained that people who have difficulty understanding information may have a difficult time practicing preventive measures such as hand washing and social distancing. Others may not be able to communicate if they experience any symptoms.
Danlami Basharu, chair of the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, said the lack of consultation with people with disabilities in the COVID-19 response plan was obvious.
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“Issues that were totally predictable were overlooked and this negatively affected both the legitimacy of immediate responses and their effectiveness,” he said in a statement.
Activists and experts also pointed to the challenges people with disabilities have faced in adapting to work and online learning.
Audrey Azoulay, general director of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), highlighted the effects of school closings on children and young people with disabilities.
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“[Factoring disability into education] it is crucial not only for students with disabilities, but also for their classmates. All students benefit from a more inclusive education… Access to education, like access to other common goods, must become universal, ”Azoulay said in a statement.
Azoulay explained that online learning and working environments have not been developed to accommodate special needs such as braille or sign language and that the international community needs to improve to help people with disabilities.
“As the world recovers from the pandemic, we must ensure that the aspirations and rights of persons with disabilities are included and taken into account in an inclusive, accessible and sustainable post-COVID-19 world,” Guterres emphasized in his statement.
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