World Food Programme Country Director in Lebanon warns of the urgent need for de-escalation as the region faces escalating humanitarian crises and over a million displaced people.
Disabled persons
On the occasion of the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, UNESCO and the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) are hosting a high-level conference (27- 28 August), focused on leveraging Para sport as a catalyst for advancing disability inclusion. It is estimated that over 15% of the world's population live with a disability, and yet disability inclusion as a social movement is often overlooked, underfunded and misunderstood. UNESCO and the IPC aim to advance collective efforts to remove barriers, fight stigma, and increase access to sports and physical activity for persons with disabilities.
The Olympic and Paralympic Games unite people and celebrate the human spirit, but there's still work to do to ensure inclusiveness in sports. Many people continue to face challenges in exercising their right to participate in sports, including athletes living in poverty, athletes who speak out, athletes with disabilities, refugees, the LGBTIQ+ community, women and indigenous peoples. A young paralympic Iraqi table tennis champion and a member of the Refugee Team, both participating in the Paralympic and Olympic Games in Paris this Summer, share their thoughts about inclusion and belonging in sports.
Mines, explosive remnants of war, and improvised explosive devices continue to cause death and injury. On average, one person is killed or injured every hour. Many of the victims are children. Survivors of explosive hazards with disabilities, and all people with disabilities living through conflicts, are the focus of the 2024 commemoration of the International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action (4 April). Join the global effort to raise awareness and advocate for the needs and rights of all people with disabilities in conflict and peacebuilding settings.
Blind since shortly after birth, Stevie Wonder was designated as a UN Messenger of Peace in 2009 with a focus on persons with disabilities. He has advocated for the adoption of the WIPO Marrakesh Treaty to facilitate access to published works for persons who are blind, visually impaired or have other print disabilities. On the occasion of World Braille Day, Wonder’s messages of accessibility, inclusion, and unification remain a powerful call for global cooperation to support persons of different abilities.
Young people in Myanmar face challenges in accessing sexual and reproductive health and rights services (SRHR), worsened by the political crisis. The struggle is even harder for people with disabilities due to social misconceptions and stigma, social exclusion and a lack of awareness and understanding regarding these groups of people. The Access to Health Fund is supporting the Myanmar Medical Association in narrowing the SRHR knowledge gap for individuals with disabilities. This initiative brings in organizations that include and work with people who have disabilities – creating a safe space for people to express their unique needs and concerns.
ILO presents Design Thinking Workshop which allows to identify needs of persons with disabilities for supporting the design of social protection benefits enabling inclusion into labour market.
I was 21 when a mountain biking accident left me without the use of my legs. I want people to know that 1) anyone with any disability can be independent, 2) a disabled person can be productive on a farm.
All persons with disabilities should be afforded rights and freedoms. In Myanmar, UNFPA works with local organizations to empower women and youth with disabilities to fully participate in public life.
A new report by the WHO shows that due to health inequities, many persons with disabilities face the risk of dying much earlier—even up to 20 years earlier—than persons without disabilities.
ILO presents Linda Sarmento, who was disabled as a child. She was determined to go to school and later found work where she could. The COVID-19 pandemic however has made it harder. Mozambique’s social protection benefit has ensured that she meets her basic needs and helps her daughters attend school.
43 artists with developmental disabilities participated in an exhibition of over 100 paintings at the Seoul Arts Center in South Korea. Among them were artists Hansol Kim and Shinhey Park. Watch the video for a behind-the-scenes look at their daily lives. Overcoming the inequalities that they face will benefit all of society. Learn more about the UN Disability Inclusion Strategy.
People with disabilities often aren’t informed about their rights and depend on complex procedures for decisions affecting their lives. Life without barriers would be easier for all of them if information was easily provided and procedures completed in one place. UNDP, the Government of Montenegro, and civil society organizations are working together to reform the disability assessment system - a project supported by the EU. Through that reform, disability levels and needs of all people with disabilities will be assessed in one place. This will simplify procedures significantly and make the system more accessible. Read the full story to find out more about the project.
G.S. Kabuga is one of 3,388 schools in Rwanda benefitting from reconstruction and refurbishment efforts, funded by the government of Rwanda and the World Bank. In the span of just one year, 22,505 classrooms across all 30 districts of Rwanda were built or refurbished with some accessibility features for learners with disabilities. Despite global setbacks brought-on by the COVID-19 crisis, significant progress has been made in meeting the 10 commitments, identified at the 2018 Global Disability Summit.
