Did you know that today, 3rd of December, is the International Day of People with a Disability? It’s held annually on this date and aims to increase public awareness, acceptance and understanding of people with disabilities, as well as celebrate their achievements and contributions to society.
This year’s theme is ‘transformation towards sustainable and resilient society for all’, which falls under the overarching principle of leaving no one behind and empowering people with a disability to be active contributors of society.
As well as the day itself, which is often a great time for businesses, schools and individuals to hold various events reflecting the goals of the day itself, the 11th annual National Disability Awards are held today. These awards aim to recognise and honour the outstanding achievements of individuals, teams, organisations and business that have improved the lives of Australian’s with a disability and that have contributed to increasing equality and human rights for all Australians.
The awards are the Australian Government’s main celebration of the International Day of People with a Disability. If you’re interested, you can view the finalists here.
In our line of work, as you can imagine, we act for a number of clients who have, through an accident, suffered some form of permanent disability. The injuries range in severity, but there is a common thread through every one, their determination, resilience and strength.
Every client, and their families, go through ups and downs – it’s only natural, there is anger, grief and confusion, but one of the things we see time and time again is these individuals’ ability to move forward and focus on their futures.
A big part of this future depends on days like this and the organisations behind them that work tirelessly to push for better rights, equal and fair access to employment opportunities and generally to ensure that when these individuals are moving forward with their lives after an accident, or simply trying their best to live their lives as a person with a disability, that they can do so without barriers, discrimination or negativity.
