International Day of Persons with Disabilities-3 Dec, 2022: Disability and aging

The International Day of Persons with Disabilities is celebrated on Saturday, December 3, 2022. (IDPD). The purpose of the Day is to raise awareness of disability issues and mobilize support for the dignity, rights, and well-being of people with disabilities.

The IDPD 2022 theme

"Transformative solutions for inclusive development: the role of innovation in fueling an accessible and equitable world," is the theme of IDPD 2022.

Disability and aging

More than 46% of older people (those aged 60 and up) have a disability, and more than 250 million older people have moderate to severe disabilities. Looking ahead, global population aging trends and the increased risk of disability in older people are likely to lead to further increases in the population affected by disability. Furthermore, the higher disability rates among older people, as a result of an accumulation of health risks across a lifetime of disease, injury, and chronic illness, urges countries to review and further explore the complementarities between the discourses on aging and on disability.

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development: Leaving No One Behind

Promoting and protecting older people's rights and dignity, as well as facilitating their full participation in society, is an essential component of achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which promises that no one will be left behind.

The 2030 Agenda's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) explicitly mention older people and people with disabilities in terms of poverty alleviation, good health and well-being, decent work and economic growth, and sustainable cities and communities, as sustainable development will not be achieved without the conscious and intentional inclusion of an increasing number of older people with and without disabilities.

As life expectancy rises in general, people with disabilities who live into old age can be expected to contribute to the overall increase in the population of older people with disabilities. This emphasizes the need for countries to take a longer-term approach to investment in community planning, design, and construction to ensure environmental inclusiveness and accessibility as they strive to create a society that meets the needs and capacities of all users.

Source:
https://idpwd.org/
https://www.un.org/development/desa/disabilities/disability-and-ageing.html
https://internationalcommunicationproject.com/campaign-news/international-day-of-persons-with-disabilities/#:~:text=The%20theme%20for%20IDPD%202022,an%20accessible%20and%20equitable%20world.%E2%80%9D