2021 International Day of Persons with Disabilities: Fighting for rights in the post-COVID era

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"2021 International Day of Persons with Disabilities: Fighting for rights in the post-COVID era"

Today, 3 December, is International Day of Persons with Disabilities. The day is observed to promote the rights and well-being of disabled people at every level of society, and raise awareness of the challenges they face, with the intention of driving positive change.

On December 3 this year, during the annual celebration of people with disabilities, the 2021 theme is ‘Fighting for rights in the post-COVID era.”

This year, we are celebrating the challenges, barriers and opportunities for people who live with disabilities, in the context of a global pandemic.

Since March 2020, every person on earth has been impacted by drastic political, social and economic change as a result of domestic and international responses to COVID-19.

This year, International Day of People with Disabilities should be used to recognise that people who live with disabilities are among the most affected populations amid the COVID pandemic. Where marginalisation, discrimination, vulnerability and exploitation are every day factors for many people, the increased risk of poor outcomes have been magnified with the reduced access to routine health care and rehabilitation services, more pronounced social isolation, poorly tailored public health messaging, inadequately constructed mental health services, and a lack of emergency preparedness for people with special needs.

Listen to Scope's CEO discuss disability in the workplace

As part of IDOPWD, Scope CEO Mark Hodgkinson joined The Green Room by Deloitte podcast to discuss attitudes towards disability in the workplace.

Tune in to find out:

• Why companies need to go further than just legal compliance
• Which year our hosts and guests would time travel to
• Why senior representation and support for career development is so important
• How being flexible in the workplace helps people to flourish.

Read more about and follow the podcast.