The theme for this year’s anniversary, -'Amplifying the leadership of persons with disabilities for an inclusive and sustainable future,' underscores the critical need to empower people with disabilities, enabling them to take on leadership roles in the health sector and beyond.
At the event, Yankuba Faal Sonko, Director of OSDIPD, said despite making up 16% of the world’s population, Persons With Disabilities often face systemic barriers that limit their access to leadership roles, particularly in health and related sectors.
Sonko revealed that day was set aside by the UN General Assembly in 1992 to raise awareness about the challenges people with disabilities face and promote their integration into all aspects of social, economic, political, and cultural life.
DG Sonko maintained that globally, an estimated 10-15% of the population lives with physical, sensory, or mental disabilities, according to the World Health Organization.
"These individuals often face significant barriers in their daily lives, exacerbated by societal and environmental challenges."
The day, he added, also serves as a vital reminder of the need for global action, adding that it is a call for societies to prioritise improving infrastructure, enforcing inclusive policies, and providing psychological and financial support to empower individuals with disabilities and ensure their dignity and independence.
Faal Sonko, however, expressed dismay with the non-attendance of government officials, the local government authorities even though they were invited to join the celebration.
Kebba Jassey, a social worker and a teacher, pointed out that the day is about promoting the rights and well-being of persons with disabilities at every level of society and development, and to raise awareness of the situation of persons with disabilities in all aspects of political, social, economic, and cultural life.
Jassey explained that WHO joins the UN in observing this day each year, to reinforce the importance of securing the rights of people with disabilities.
That, he added, would enable them to participate effectively in society and to break the barriers most of their members face.
Meanwhile, global reports show that women with disabilities encounter compounded discrimination due to gender and disability, often facing violence and societal rejection.
This, the report added, also forced members to severe economic and cultural hardships, with limited access to healthcare, education, and essential services.
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