Days Until International Day of Persons with Disabilities

About International Day of Persons with Disabilities

A 1992 General Assembly resolution established December 3, promoting an understanding of disability issues and mobilizing support for the dignity, rights, and well-being of persons with disabilities worldwide.

The World Health Organization estimates well over a billion people worldwide live with some form of disability, making it one of the largest population groups addressed by any single UN observance.

The day follows the framework set by the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, adopted in 2006, which the observance is used annually to reinforce and promote implementation of.

The observance's annual theme has increasingly focused on disability inclusion in disaster response and climate action, reflecting evidence that people with disabilities are disproportionately affected during emergencies.

The day's messaging has increasingly emphasized the UN's "nothing about us without us" principle, stressing that disability policy should be shaped directly by people with disabilities rather than decided solely on their behalf.