Since 1992, December 3 has become the day where everyone across the world recognizes individuals with disabilities. What was once just known as the “International Year of Disabled Persons” back in 1976, the United Nations promoted it to an annual holiday to be celebrated around the world. The goal of the day is to help educate and advocate those who have disabilities. By uniting the world regardless of what background you come from, this day acknowledges everyone despite differences we may have.

Every year, this day discovers a new issue to tackle surrounding the rights of those with disabilities. These topics include how disabilities and politics clash, how social life can be affected by a disability, how education has changed over the years regarding those with a disability and how cultural and socio economic status are affected by disabilities. This day hopes to educate those without disabilities on how life with disabilities isn’t all that different. They want others to understand that although there may be slight hindrances, we are one in the same and go about our lives relatively the same.

As the leading organization that pushed this day into the world eye, the UN makes sure to promote this day to its fullest potential. The UN wants to push the idea of inclusion for everyone despite the differences we have. Individuals with disabilities are among one of the most excluded groups of people in the world. Those with disabilities are less likely to get into certain schools or education programs due to their disabilities. The struggle that they face is something that we should acknowledge as a growing problem. Each year, new themes are put in place to help explore different topics and ideas surrounding disabilities. By switching it up each year, the UN hopes to explore different problems that people with disabilities face.

As a collective species, we should come together regardless of the day or not. As people, we should acknowledge each other as equals despite differences we may have or see within ourselves. December 3 is a special day, but that doesn’t mean we should only have respect for those with disabilities for only 24 hours and should continue to recognize persons with disabilities everyday throughout the year.