The United Nations General Assembly has proclaimed the third of December “International Day of Persons with Disability.” Each year on this date we highlight a different aspect of the effort to respect the rights of persons with disabilities. This year’s theme is “Inclusion matters: access and empowerment for people of all abilities.” This theme is especially relevant for the work of advocates for persons with disabilities in Afghanistan.
Afghans with disabilities, whether from conflict, disease, or circumstances of birth, are making valuable contributions to the Afghan government, civil society, and business community every day. A veteran who was disabled by a mine is capable of training soldiers and planning support operations. A woman born with a disability can still contribute to the support of her family. A child who cannot hear or see can still learn, and teach his or her classmates about tolerance and perseverance. Despite real disabilities that produce challenges in life, persons with disability demonstrate every day all of the ways they are, in fact, able to succeed.
Most persons with disabilities do not want pity. They want dignity and respect, just like the rest of us, because persons with disability ARE like us. Anyone can become disabled. Most of us know a friend or a family member who is disabled. In 2013, the Independent Human Rights Commission of Afghanistan estimated that 20 percent of Afghan households were affected by disabilities. Some disabilities are hidden, and some are visible. We want to encourage persons with disabilities to make use of their talents in society and to not stay hidden. And we want to encourage those without disabilities to welcome, accept, and respect them when they do.
In order to enable persons with disabilities to fully utilize their talents, government, businesses, and society should look for opportunities to lower barriers to their participation. Simple things, like building a ramp in front of a new building, can allow someone to participate in civic life. Without good physical access, a law firm may miss out on the contributions of a brilliant young legal mind, a government office may miss the services of an efficient civil servant, and a business may miss out on a loyal customer.
Persons with disabilities also do their part when they speak up for their rights, confront discrimination, and look for opportunities to use their abilities to support their families and communities.
Let’s use today to remember that persons with disabilities are important and valuable members of our world. We respect the contributions they have made to society. Let’s all look for ways to further their inclusion so we can fully use all of our varied talents.
View expressed in this article are of the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Pajhwok’s editorial policy.
