FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
December 1, 2011
Contact:
Lawrence Carter-Long, Public Affairs Specialist
Phone: 202-272-2112
Statement by the National Council on Disability on the
19th Observance of International Day of Persons with Disabilities, December 3,
2011
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The National Council on Disability
today released the following statement on the occasion of the International Day
of Persons with Disabilities, December 3, 2011:
NCD observes the 19th International Day of Disabled
Persons, first recognized by the United Nations General Assembly in 1992. The
theme of this year’s observance is “Together for a better world for all: Including persons with disabilities in
development.”
Why is meaningful involvement by persons with
disabilities in international development important? The United States invests billions of
taxpayer dollars into foreign assistance programs that foster international
diplomacy and development annually, aimed at improving the quality of life for
people around the world. These programs develop economies, promote democracy
and governance, provide humanitarian assistance, build new infrastructure, and
advance and protect human rights. Given that 15 percent of the world population
is made up of people with disabilities, and growing, the United States cannot
effectively accomplish the goals of foreign assistance programs unless it
ensures programs are accessible to and inclusive of people with
disabilities.
Conservative estimates by the World Health Organization
suggest more than one billion people, an estimated 15 percent of the world’s
population, have a disability. 80 percent of these individuals live in
developing nations. Although people with disabilities make up a large segment
of the global population, they continue to face worldwide discrimination and
segregation at alarming levels. Moreover, numbers are likely gravely
underestimated because people with disabilities are typically shunned, hidden
from public view by their families, and commonly excluded from community
activities.
Exclusion from the built environment prevents use of
necessary services and resources that non-disabled populations take for
granted. These barriers have a negative, spiraling effect. Physical barriers
also keep people with disabilities from using voting centers, polling places,
courthouses, administrative agencies, schools, and embassies.
Those who aren’t hidden by families or communities of
origin are often left to languish in institutions – further removing them from
civic and social engagement. Conflict and poverty continue to increase the
incidence rates of disability in less developed and industrialized economies
alike. Already significant numbers are
rising due to a variety of factors including aging, poverty, armed conflict, as
well as improved data collection.
Overseas economic development will not be successful
unless people with disabilities are included.
If development is not inclusive, the significant numbers of people with
disabilities in developing countries will hinder the very economic growth the U.S.
seeks to facilitate. NCD recommends both
micro-level solutions to spark income generation in coordination with large
scale interventions to create the kinds of legal and regulatory structures to
better serve and benefit from the contributions of people with disabilities.
As the world observes the 19th International Day of
Persons with Disabilities, NCD welcomes the opportunity to focus greater
attention to workable solutions to concerns faced by people with disabilities,
their families and the diverse communities people live in around the globe.
About NCD: Founded in 1978, the National Council on
Disability is a small, independent federal agency comprised of 15
Presidentially-appointed, Senate-confirmed Council Members and a small staff,
who advise the President, Congress and other Federal agencies on disability
policy, programs and services.
More information on NCD's website at:
http://www.ncd.gov
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