International Day of People with Disability
Posted on
Today is International Day of People with Disability (IDPwD). IDPwD is a United Nations observed day we celebrate on 3 December each year to increase public awareness, understanding and acceptance of the 4.4 million Australians with disability.
To celebrate, we asked four autistic people to share their thoughts and feelings about the day.
Orion Kelly (he/him)
As an Autistic person diagnosed in adulthood, I tend to view my life in two parts. Those parts being pre diagnosis and post diagnosis. And although my diagnosis was welcomed, it triggered an identity crisis.
If I was born Autistic, who was I trying to be pre diagnosis? In short, I was trying to be neurotypical when I was neurodivergent.
What IDPwD means to me is a recognition that my genuine Autistic self has a place in this world.
IDPwD is important to not only me, but the entire Autistic community, because it’s an opportunity to celebrate our differences rather than hide them. Autistic people are often compelled to mask their true selves to fit into a neurotypical world.
Any opportunity to shine a light on our individual challenges and strengths can only help increase the level of understanding and appreciation of Autistic people.
The one thing I hope people will take away from IDPwD this year is that regardless of the disability, we all have individual challenges, strengths, passions, and contributions to share with the world.
We just need the opportunity.
Srishti Chatterjee (they/them)
While I usually don’t care much about these ‘days’ because it gives a chance to privileged people to care about us for a single day and then move on, IDPwD has always generated important conversations for me, especially about the images of what disability looks like.
As someone with an invisible physical disorder and several mental disorders, I have often struggled with being considered ‘disabled enough’ to be helped, even to myself.
As someone working in support and advocacy services, I often gloss over the care and help I need, so I guess IDPwD is a day to remind myself when I see community awareness, that help is available for me and I am deserving of it.
It brings me a sense of community with other queer disabled people like me where we care about each other when systems of authority repeatedly fail us.
Divergent Fel (she/her)
I believe IDPwD is an important day as it authentically addresses a united issue within the world that is understanding and empowerment of anyone who has a disability and whether or not that disability is visible or invisible.
I find it extremely important to have a day to celebrate all people with a disability and clearly acknowledge their hard work and achievements especially in creating positive and effective change to better the lives of all people with a disability.
I do wish that it was longer than a day as there’s so much to celebrate in a world full of people with disabilities.
Within my local community I have discovered that the IDPwD creates more of an opportunity to advocate and educate the public with updated information and culture around disabilities as well as creating inclusion, awareness, and acceptance of lesser-known disabilities.
I think no matter who you are, you should take a minute today to reflect, read and show gratitude for those people with a disability in your lives as they provide the world with much needed diversity in various forms.
Is Hay (they/them)
IDPwD to me represents the history of disabled people before me that have worked and fought for my right to live, learn, work, engage and love.
It is definitely a day of celebration, and one that I don’t take lightly, but I think December 3 is a day that demands more significant action than just celebrating disabled people.
Fundamentally, for disabled people IDPwD is about community, history and celebration, but for abled/non-disabled people, it needs to be a day of reflection, learning, planning and action.
The day should not just be a tick in the diversity calendar or a cup of tea event talking about Dylan Alcott and other famous disabled people (though they are superb), but real meaningful action, led only by the needs and wants of disabled people.
Disabled people are still not recognised as people worthy of life, justice, community or care, because abled people have all the power to make all the decisions about our life.
IDPwD shouldn’t need to exist as a reminder of our autonomy, personhood, excellence or existence, but it does, and serves such an important purpose.