Care and surgery
Training and skills transfer
Building and equipping hospitals
Prevention and screening
Emergencies and humanitarian crises
Maternal health
International Day of Disabled Persons
Launched by the United Nations (UN), the International Day of Disabled Persons takes place every year on December 3. This day highlights the issues surrounding the inclusion of people with disabilities and highlights the benefits of an inclusive society accessible to all. At the June 2019 launch of the United Nations Disability Inclusion Strategy, the Secretary-General said that the UN must lead by example by improving its standards and performance on inclusion - in all its areas of action, from Headquarters to the field.
What is the JInternational Day of Disabled Persons?
Since 1992, the International Day of Disabled Persons has been celebrated around the world on December 3.
The International Day of Disabled Persons aims to promote the rights and well-being of disabled people in society, and to raise awareness of their situation in political, social, economic and cultural life.
The United Nations has identified gaps in the social inclusion of people with disabilities. In response, it is strengthening its commitment to respecting all the human rights of people with disabilities, whether in line with the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities or the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
“Achieving truly sustainable development for people with disabilities requires a very specific focus on the needs and rights they have, not only as beneficiaries, but also as active contributors to social, economic and political life.”
António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations
What can you do to mark International Day of Disabled Persons?
According to the United Nations figures, around 1 billion people are affected by disability, 80% of whom live in developing countries. The term “people with disabilities” encompasses those with physical, mental, intellectual or sensory impairments that prevent them from interacting equitably with others.
The lack of awareness and services for people with disabilities has many consequences:
- lower levels of education,
- higher poverty rates,
- cases of stigmatization, discrimination and ignorance leading to violence.
Disabled children are four times more likely to be victims of such violence than able-bodied children.
According to the United Nations estimates, more than 100 million people with disabilities are children.
This is the context in which La Chaîne de l’Espoir operates in the field of disability:
- In West Africa ,the focus is on treating children suffering from maxillofacial pathologies such as facial tumors, cleft lip and palate or noma, visible conditions with immediate consequences for children’s nutrition and hydration. These illnesses also fuel local superstitions, leading to stigmatization, exclusion, school drop-out and even rejection of these children by their families and communities. That’s why, in addition to surgery, we also take action to raise community awareness.
- In Lebanon and Jordan, La Chaîne de l’Espoir’s efforts are focused on the prevention, detection and treatment of congenital orthopedic malformations, ensuring that the children concerned receive the care they need to improve their quality of life and protect them from severe lifelong disability.
The ultimate goal of La Chaîne de l’Espoir is to eliminate all obstacles to the inclusion of people with disabilities. Together, this mission can be accomplished.
