International Day of Persons with Disabilities falls on December 3:

A time to remember the differently-abled

The United Nations' (UN) International Day of Disabilities is annually held on December 3 since 1992.It aims to increase the understanding of the issues around disabilities and attention to the dignity, rights and well-being of persons with disabilities.

It also aims to increase the awareness of the gains for everybody if disabled persons are integrated into all aspects of political, social, economic and cultural life and also raise money for resources for persons with disabilities.

We all come across people who are disabled in some form or the other. The recent ethnic war in our country has left many people disabled, but we hardly pay any attention to their needs. It is true that many of the disabled people do not like sympathy, however but this does not mean we should ignore them and cast them aside. What they really need is to be recognised as people who are still capable of contributing to society. They need facilities and opportunities not merely our sympathy.

Remember we too can become disabled at any time in our life, sometimes due to an unfortunate accident. We should never laugh at disabled people or make them feel embarassed by passing remarks at them.

The United Nations Decade of Disabled Persons was held from 1983 to 1992 to enable governments and organisations to implement measures to improve the life of disabled persons all over the world. On October 14, 1992, as this decade drew to a close, the UN General Assembly proclaimed December 3 as the International Day of Disabled Persons. This day was first observed on December 3, 1992.

On December 18, 2007, the assembly changed the observance's name from the "International Day of Disabled Persons" to the "International Day of Persons with Disabilities". The new name was first used in 2008.