It is the International Day of Persons with DisAbilities, and it is wonderful as the Chair of Dementia Alliance International to have won a National disAbility award in Australia in this space, as your representative. You can read about that and watch a video of it here, and see a picture of all the winners if you re interested.
For the first time (as far as I have been able to discover), it is the very first time that dementia and disAbility have been fully in the same space, and with the work and advocacy many have been doing locally and globally, some for many years, to ensure that people with dementia are eventually recognised under the United Nations Conventions of the Rights of Persons with DisAbilities CRPD), this is a significant award for all people with dementia.
The theme for the International Day of People with DisAbility 2015
Inclusion matters: access and empowerment for people of all abilities.
The Sub-themes for IDPD 2015 are:
- Making cities inclusive and accessible for all
- Improving disability data and statistics
- Including persons with invisible disabilities in society and development
Alzheimer's Scotland have a Charter of Rights, and have done some work in this space, but globally, people with dementia have been left out from recognition under the CRPD. This is, in the opinion of many of us, a breach of human rights, and it is outrageous and an oversight we have not had advocacy organisations more actively working towards our recognition as people with disAbilities.
We fit easily into the category of their sub theme this year, as persons with invisible disabilities, and recognition under the CRPD will change the sector due to the fact there is legislation, already in existence, that gives us some level of protection against things like physical or chemical restraint, and institutional abuse.
For a bit more information about the day, the UN says: "The annual observance of the International Day of Disabled Persons was proclaimed in 1992, by the United Nations General Assembly resolution 47/3.
The observance of the Day aims to promote an understanding of disability issues and mobilize support for the dignity, rights and well-being of persons with disabilities. It also seeks to increase awareness of gains to be derived from the integration of persons with disabilities in every aspect of political, social, economic and cultural life."
Editor: Kate Swaffer