National Council on Disability Partners with U.S. Department of State to Recognize International Day of Persons with Disabilities

WASHINGTON—The National Council on Disability (NCD) is cosponsoring three panel discussions with the U.S. Department of State in observance of International Day of Persons with Disabilities on December 3. The panels will include discussions on the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), violence against women and girls with disabilities, and HIV/AIDS and disability.

The annual observance of the International Day of Persons with Disabilities on December 3 was established by the International Year for Disabled Persons in 1981. The Day is set aside topromote a better understanding of disability issues with a focus on the rights of people with disabilities and societal gains that com e from the integration of people with disabilities in every aspect of the political, social, economic, and cultural life of their communities. The World Programme of Action concerning Disabled Persons developed the goal of full and effective participation of people with disabilities in society and development, which was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 1982.

”NCD has a long and rich history of involvement with the international community in advocating for the rights of all people with disabilities. We are proud to have worked in collaboration with so many on the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, which was adopted in 2006 and signed by the United States. We must continue to work together to create measurable goals to increase the inclusion of people with disabilities in every corner of the globe,” said Joan Durocher, NCD’s General Counsel and Director of Policy, who presented at the World Standards Cooperation accessibility workshop held recently in Geneva, Switzerland. NCD also participated in the recent meeting of the Global Initiative for Inclusive ICT (G3ICT) forum co-sponsored by the U.S. Department of State and George Washington University, where Ms. Durocher discussed NCD’s upcoming overseas accessibility study, which examines Article 32 of the CRPD and the inclusion of people with disabilities around the world.

According to NCD Chairman Jonathan Young, “We are delighted that this collaboration continues today with NCD participating in the State Department’s observance of International Day of Persons with Disabilities. It is our intention to continue to work with people with disabilities around the world to achieve equal opportunities to better themselves as they live, learn and earn their way to success as they define it.”

“It is estimated that there are 50 million people with disabilities in the United States and 650 million people with disabilities worldwide. As we celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), we know that our work is far from over. We have made great accomplishments in this country and around the world, but much more needs to be done,” said NCD Executive Director Aaron Bishop.

NCD is an independent federal agency charged with advising the President, Congress, and other federal officials and entities on all policies, programs, practices and procedures affecting people with disabilities. NCD’s mission is to further the goals enshrined in the ADA of 1990: equality of opportunity, full participation, independent living and economic self-sufficiency for all people with disabilities. NCD also provides technical assistance on disability issues to countries around the world.

For more information, please contact NCD’s Director of Communications, Mark Quigley, at mquigley@ncd.gov or by telephone at 202-272-2004.