World Disability Day: PM Modi tweets, "resilience and fortitude of persons with disabilities inspireus"
On World Disability Day Prime Minister Narendra Modi took to Twitter and wrote: "The resilience and fortitude of persons with disabilities inspire us. Under the Accessible India initiative, numerous measures have been taken that ensure there is a positive change in the lives of our Divyang sisters and brothers." PM Modi also said we must keep working towards ensuring better future for persons with disabilities by taking steps "in line with the year's UN theme of "Building Back Better: toward a disability-inclusive, accessible and sustainable post COVID-19 World".
A day dedicated to persons with disabilities is marked every year on December 3, to promote and spread awareness about the rights and well-being of these special people among us. In a pandemic situation, persons with disabilities are the worst hit as they get even more left out in the "new normal".
"As the world recovers from the pandemic, we must ensure that the aspirations and rights of persons with disabilities are included and accounted for in an inclusive, accessible and sustainable post COVID-19 world. This vision will only be achieved through active consultation with persons with disabilities and their representative organizations," UN chief, Antonio Guterres said on World Disability Day.
World Disability Day 2020: Key messages from the WHO (World Health Organisation)
- "Disability is part of the human experience"
- "WHO recognizes that a world where all people attain the highest possible standard of health and well-being is only possible if health systems are inclusive of people with disability"
- "People with disability have been amongst the most vulnerable populations during the current COVID-19 outbreak due to many health, social and environmental barriers, discriminatory attitudes and inaccessible infrastructure"
- "The COVID-19 pandemic provides a unique opportunity to build back better our health systems so that they are more inclusive and responsive to the needs and human rights of people experiencing disability in all their diversity"
- "Countries need to shift towards a service delivery system rooted in the communities, reaching out and empowering people with disability"