International Day of People with Disabilities: a day for those acting for peace
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International Day of People with Disabilities: a day for those acting for peace
29/11/2011 12:16:22 PM
A blog post by Lucy Daniel, Policy Officer, CBM Australia*
Each year on December 3, the International Day of People with Disabilities provides us with an opportunity to take time out to reflect upon the one billion people in the world who have disabilities, and celebrate their lives and achievements.
Ten Touch, End the Cycle/CBM Australia 2011 copyright
This day is of particular significance to those of us concerned with issues of peace and conflict. The World Bank has said that “conflict is one of the preventable causes of psychological, sensorial and physical disabilities” — meaning that the exclusion and poverty frequently experienced by those with disabilities is even more widespread in communities caught up in conflict situations.
Conflict can lead to many types of disabilities. There are the physical and sensory impairments due to conflict-related injuries, such as blindness or amputations caused by landmines and cluster munitions. We are also increasingly recognising the devastating amount of mental health and psychosocial disabilities resulting from the trauma of conflict situations. Research suggests that major depression and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder are chronic amongst refugee and displaced populations, affecting between 40 and 70 per cent of these groups.
The poor and fractured environments that survivors of conflict can live in for years often do not have capacity to provide the appropriate support, education and care for people experiencing mental health conditions or indeed other forms of disabilities. This can perpetuate the cycle of disability, poverty and conflict that these people are caught in … often for years after peace is achieved.
This means that in order for conflict interventions and post-conflict programs to be effective, they need to specifically address the needs of and actively include people with disabilities. Programs seeking to do this may include training relief and development workers about engaging with people with disabilities, ensuring that buildings and communications are accessible for people who may have mobility, intellectual, vision or hearing difficulties, and introducing rehabilitation programs as part of community reconstruction.
Throughout these efforts, the important thing to remember is that with appropriate support, people with disabilities can and do live full and meaningful lives … so societies which are inclusive receive ongoing benefit from the participation and contribution of people with disabilities.
This is where the other part of the International Day of People with Disabilities comes in: where we celebrate the lives and achievements of those with disabilities. People with disabilities show extraordinary resilience during times of crisis, and can achieve so much when appropriately supported. People like Ten Touch (pictured above), whose remarkable story I have previously shared on this blog here, remind us that when societies create opportunities to include people with disabilities, they receive benefits back ten-fold.
So this International Day of People with Disabilities, take a moment to reflect upon the many difficulties faced by people with disabilities in areas of conflict … and make an effort to include people with disabilities in the communities you work in, whether at home or abroad.
If you would like to find out more about disability, poverty and development issues, you can visit and sign the pledge at www.endthecycle.org.au or follow @endthecycleaus on Twitter.
* CBM Australia is part of the world’s largest organisation working with people with a disability in the poorest places. Act for Peace is proud to support its End the Cycle campaign.
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