Friday Five – International Day of Persons with Disabilities

Follow and join the conversation with #IDPD, #EveryoneIncluded, and #CRPD.

The annual observance of the International Day of Disabled Persons was proclaimed in 1992 by United Nations General Assembly. It aims to promote the rights and well-being of persons with disabilities in all spheres of society and development, and to increase awareness of the situation of persons with disabilities in every aspect of political, social, economic and cultural life. This week’s Friday Five provides background about the observance and some resources and events so readers can participate.

Leadership and Participation of Persons with Disabilities Live Streamed Event

Join the World Bank and a panel of experts for an event on “Leadership and Participation of Persons with Disabilities.” The event will feature leaders from government, the private sector, and civil society, in addition to an exciting performance by deaf rapper and performer, Wawa. It will commemorate the International Day of Persons with Disabilities with a discussion on how we can move toward an inclusive, accessible and sustainable future in a post-COVID-19 World. The event will take place TODAY, December 3rd, at 8:30 AM EDT. Follow the event on Twitter #IDPD.

Persons with disabilities are a growing share of the world’s population & a potential market of over 3.4 billion people if family & caregivers are included. A strong business opportunity companies can unlock while boosting the economic inclusion of #PWD. #IDPD https://t.co/Tbur9Nn2zV

— Makhtar Diop (@Diop_IFC) December 2, 2021

Five things to know about living with a disability during COVID-19

The theme for IDPD this year is “Leadership and participation of persons with disabilities toward an inclusive, accessible and sustainable post-COVID-19 world.” Every seventh person alive today – more than 1 billion people in total – lives with some form of disability. Despite being so numerous, persons with disabilities are still overwhelmingly overlooked in times of emergency, such as the COVID-19 pandemic.

Viewing Telehealth Policymaking Through the Lens of Disability

Laura C. Hoffman from The Petrie-Flom Center, an interdisciplinary research program at Harvard Law School exploring issues at the intersection of health law policy, biotechnology, and bioethics, explains that while telehealth increases access to health care by reducing barriers to access for individuals, people with disabilities face multiple barriers to telehealth. The COVID-19 pandemic has further highlighted these challenges.