Each year, 3 December marks International Day of People with Disabilities. This day is promoted across the world by the United Nations to promote full and equal participation of persons with disabilities and to take action for the Inclusion of persons with disabilities in all aspects of society and development.
The theme this year is Not all Disabilities are Visible.
Here at Unitec many of our colleagues and students experience disabilities that are not immediately apparent. For example chronic pain or fatigue, mental illness, sight or hearing impairments, epilepsy, brain injuries, neurological disorders and learning differences.
The Access4Success team celebrating with some of the students who successfully completed their courses this year.
What is the purpose of International Day of People with Disabilities?
- Celebration – to recognise and value the diversity of our community and to cherish the role we all play, regardless of our abilities.
- Learning – to understand and learn form the experiences of people living with a disability.
- Optimism – to look towards a future and the creation of a world where a person is not characterised by disabilities but by their abilities.
- Action – where all people and organisations take on a commitment to create a world characterised by equal human rights.
In New Zealand 1 in 4 people are disabled. Our disability data shows that disabled people are more likely to have worse outcomes than non-disabled people.
Of disabled New Zealanders aged 15 – 64 years in 2018, 37% had experienced discrimination in the last 12 months and 9.7% found it hard to be themselves. The employment rate was 39.1% compared to 78.5% on non-disabled.
How to get involved
To celebrate and mark this day there are events happening throughout New Zealand.
Follow this link to find out some of the events happening in New Zealand.
At Unitec we have the Student Success teams who are there to support all our students. If you know a student who may have an impairment, disability or injury, they could benefit from resources offered by Access4Success Disability Service. Contact disabilitysupport@unitec.ac.nz or text or phone Gail 021 0221 1686.