December 3 is International Day of Persons with Disabilities (IDPWD).
It’s a day for celebration, learning, optimism and action.
And while it’s just one day, it symbolises the role we should all take every day of the year in ‘identifying and addressing discrimination, marginalisation, exclusion and inaccessibility that many people living with disabilities face.’
We spoke to our Administration Assistant, Lauren, who is disabled, to get her thoughts on IDPWD and her advice on managing the day-to-day.
What does International Day of Persons with Disabilities mean to you?
“It is a day where people with disabilities can be in the spotlight and show all the wonderful things they have achieved in life and become positive role models for the future generation.
“Also to bring awareness to the different types of disabilities that someone can have and show the help that is available for someone who may need it.”
Why is disability awareness important?
“I feel that awareness is important because for people with disabilities (whether hidden or visible) support is needed in everyday life.
“The more people know about all types of disabilities, the more it would help.
“It can be hard sometimes as they can get stares from the public which can be very uncomfortable.
“It would be a step in the right direction if the public would come over and want to learn about your disability instead of staring.”
Lauren’s advice for young people growing up with a disability
- Always be proud of who you are and do the best you can.
- Always think positive as it can be hard sometimes thinking you are not able to do the activities that someone else can do.
- No matter what you want to do in life there is a lot of help out there to assist you.
- You can do anything you put your mind to – it’s just finding the way that works for you.
Proud to be creating awareness
We couldn’t do what we do, or make as much impact as possible, at Motability Foundation without listening to or learning from the experiences of disabled people.
We value everyone’s unique qualities and celebrate having a diverse and inclusive culture where everyone feels they can be their authentic selves, no matter their age, ethnicity, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability status, neurodiversity or otherwise.
We’re proud to celebrate differences and create awareness throughout the year.
Learn more about International Day of Persons With Disabilities.
