World Disability Day 2023- Theme, Facts, History, Observation, & Other Details of IDPD

Every year World Disability Day is observed by people all over the world on December 3 to promote the rights of persons with disabilities and also draw attention to the issues faced by them at every stage of life. Also known as International Day of Persons with Disabilities (IDPD), this day was established by the United Nations in 1992. In this article, you will find important details related to World Disability Day 2023 like its history, importance, observation, and much more.

World Disability Day 2023 Overview

Event	World Disability Day 2023
Other names	International Day of Disabled Persons 2023
Date	December 3, 2023
Day	Sunday
Declared by	United Nations
Observed by	Worldwide
Purpose of celebration	To promote the rights and draw attention to the issues faced by persons with disabilities.
Frequency	Annual

World Disability Day Upcoming Events

Below mentioned are the upcoming dates for World Disability Day for the next 5 years.

Event	Date	Day
World Disability Day 2023	December 3, 2023	Sunday
World Disability Day 2024	December 3, 2024	Tuesday
World Disability Day 2025	December 3, 2025	Wednesday
World Disability Day 2026	December 3, 2026	Thursday
World Disability Day 2027	December 3, 2027	Friday

Check other Special Days in December

World Disability Day Significance

Persons with disabilities suffer from various issues, be they physical, mental, or even social. Such people have more risk of suffering from different conditions including stroke, asthma, diabetes, etc. In addition to this, persons with disabilities also suffer from discrimination from society, face stigma related to their condition, and are deprived of education and employment opportunities. To raise awareness of their situation in all aspects of life, World Disability Day is observed every year on December 3. The day also encourages people all over the world to develop a better understanding of the situation that persons with disabilities live in and come together to help them by strengthening their rights, dignity, and welfare.

History of World Disability Day

The history of World Disability Day can be traced back to 1976 when the United Nations General Assembly decided to observe 1981 as the International Year of Disabled Persons. The main objective was to work toward equal opportunities for disabled persons, their rehabilitation, and the prevention of disabilities. Following its success, the General Assembly declared 1983–1992 as the United Nations Decade of Disabled Persons. Finally, in 1992, the United Nations General Assembly adopted resolution 47/3 and established December 3 as the International Day of Disabled Persons.

Celebration

World Disability Day is celebrated every year with panel discussions and cultural events organized at the UN Headquarters in New York. Other than this, member states, government, and non-government organizations, and institutions working for the betterment of persons with disabilities organize activities of their own. A theme is decided every year and the celebrations of the day are carried out revolving around the theme. All the events of the day are focused on educating people and raising awareness about disabilities. As an individual, become a part of these activities and encourage others to learn about disabilities as well. You can volunteer with organizations supporting persons with disabilities or make donations to aid them financially.

World Disability Day Theme 2023

The World Disability Day theme for the year 2023 is yet to be declared by the United Nations. In the meantime, you can check the theme for the previous five years’ celebration in the table below.

Year	Theme
2018	“Empowering persons with disabilities and ensuring inclusiveness and equality”
2019	“Promoting the participation of persons with disabilities and their leadership: taking action on the 2030 Development Agenda”
2020	“Building Back Better: toward a disability-inclusive, accessible and sustainable post COVID-19 world”
2021	“Leadership and participation of persons with disabilities toward an inclusive, accessible and sustainable post-COVID-19 world”
2022	“Transformative solutions for inclusive development: the role of innovation in fueling an accessible and equitable world”

Important Facts Related to Disability

Here are some important facts regarding disability that you need to know:

1. More than 1 billion people in the world suffer from some kind of disability.
2. Over 100 million of the total persons with disabilities are children.
3. 80% of the total persons with disabilities live in developing countries.
4. One out of five women and one out of ten children are most likely to experience disability.
5. Around half of the total disabled persons are unable to afford proper healthcare.
6. Children with disabilities are more likely to experience violence in their lives.
7. 7 targets of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are focused on persons with disabilities.

Frequently Asked Questions