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International Day of People with Disabilities

Each year the School of Mathematics, Statistics and Physics celebrates International Day of People with Disabilities.

Living with a disability

According to the WHO World Report on Disability, 15 per cent of the world’s population, or more than 1 billion people, are living with a disability. Of this number, it’s estimated 450 million are living with a mental or neurological condition. Two-thirds of these people will not seek professional medical help, largely due to:

  • stigma
  • discrimination
  • neglect

International Day of People with Disabilities

To highlight this message, the UN has marked the International Day of People with Disabilities every 3 December since 1992. It aims to spread the word on disability issues and mobilise support for the dignity, rights and well-being of people with disabilities. The day also aims to draw attention to the benefits to society as a whole of including persons with disabilities in every aspect of life:

  • political
  • social
  • economic
  • cultural

Not all disabilities are visible

The theme in 2020 - ‘Not all Disabilities are Visible’ - focused on spreading awareness and understanding of disabilities that are not immediately apparent. Examples of these disabilities could be:

  • mental illness
  • chronic pain or fatigue
  • sight or hearing impairments
  • diabetes
  • brain injuries
  • neurological disorders
  • learning differences
  • cognitive dysfunctions

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