Honoring the Past, Shaping the Future: The History and Impact of the International Day of Persons with Disabilities
“Disability is everywhere in history once you begin looking for it, but conspicuously absent in the histories we write."1
This quote by historian Doug Baynton captures a profound truth: while disability has always been part of the human experience, it has often been overlooked or erased in mainstream historical narratives. This absence is precisely why days like the International Day of Persons with Disabilities matter: they compel us to confront the silences in our historical narratives and to center the voices and experiences that have too often been overlooked.
While writing this piece, I learned of the passing of Alice Wong, an extraordinary disability rights advocate, author, and founder of the Disability Visibility Project. A self-identified disabled oracle, Wong dedicated her life to amplifying disabled voices and dismantling systemic ableism. “She taught disabled people to honor our full complex existences, and taught non-disabled people to see us for our whole selves—our disabled joy, disabled rage, and the ferocity we unleash through our advocacy.”2 This post is in honor of her legacy and unwavering commitment to justice and inclusion, accessibility, and the honoring of the lived experiences of disabled people.
International Day of Persons with Disabilities: Why It Matters
December 3, 2025, marks the 33rd International Day of Persons with Disabilities (IDPWD). Established in 1992 by the United Nations General Assembly, it “aims to promote the rights and well-being of persons with disabilities in all spheres of society and development, and to increase awareness of the situation of persons with disabilities in every aspect of political, social, economic, and cultural life.”3 Each year has a unique theme, 2025’s theme being “fostering disability-inclusive societies for advancing social progress.” This theme echoes the enduring call of the disability rights movement: “Nothing about us, without us.” True social progress demands not only inclusion but leadership and involvement by disabled people in shaping the policies, narratives, and communities that affect their lives.
Origins
The roots of this day date back to 1976, when the United Nations General Assembly proclaimed that 1981 would serve as the International Year of Disabled Persons. As the first initiative of its kind globally, it urged action and advocacy for people with disabilities across national, regional, and international levels. To provide a specific timeframe for governments, institutions, and organizations to act out the mission and cause, the International Decade of Persons with Disabilities launched, running from 1983-1992. Towards the tail end of this decade-long initiative, the UN General Assembly voted to establish the annual International Day of Disabled Persons to maintain the need for disability advocacy and change. December 3, 1992, marked the first International Day of Disabled Persons, a continuation of the much-needed attention and action towards societal views of the disabled and the barriers those views create. This observance builds on decades of UN work in disability rights and aligns with global frameworks like the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (2006) and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Today, more than 1 billion people, about 15% of the world’s population, live with some form of disability, making this day a vital platform for advocacy and inclusion. [un.org]
Adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on December 13, 2006, and ratified with 82 signatures on March 30, 2007, the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) is a landmark international human rights treaty. It is intended to promote, protect, and ensure the full and equal enjoyment of all human rights and fundamental freedoms by persons with disabilities, and to advance respect for their inherent dignity. The CRPD represents a paradigm shift in how disability is understood, moving away from viewing persons with disabilities as objects of charity or in need of a medical cure to fix them (medical model of disability) toward recognizing them as rights-holders and active members of society. It does not create new rights but clarifies how existing rights apply to persons with disabilities and obligates states to remove barriers and combat discrimination.
In 2007, it was determined by the General Assembly that the name of this observance day should be updated to reflect growing knowledge and support around the language we use when referring to people with disabilities. Currently, there are two central language models that govern language surrounding disability: person-first and identity-first. Person-first language (e.g., person with a disability) emphasizes the individual before their disability. Identify-first language (e.g., disabled person) uses identity first to both normalize disability and center it as a unique part of a person’s identity. This is one of the most powerful aspects of this day: it has grown and evolved alongside our collective understanding of disability. Language has been updated, conventions held, scope expanded. This willingness to learn, reflect, and change lies at the heart of accessibility. The change in the name of the day reflects an important shift toward honoring these evolving language models and centering choice and autonomy.
Historically, celebrations of IDPWD have taken many forms worldwide. Governments, non-governmental-organizations, and disability advocacy groups organize awareness campaigns, policy forums, and cultural events to amplify disabled voices. UN agencies and organizations often host panel discussions, training workshops, and art exhibitions featuring artists with disabilities. In some countries, landmarks are illuminated in purple to symbolize disability inclusion, and the Gold-Silver-Bronze flag, adopted in 2017, is displayed as a global emblem of disability rights. Today, there are countless ways to celebrate IDPWD at the community, organizational, or individual level: whether through hosting or attending educational events, supporting disability-led organizations, or engaging in advocacy.
As with any type of observance or awareness day, there’s a growing concern that such observances can feel performative if not backed by sustained, year-round commitment to accessibility and inclusion. True progress requires ongoing action, not just symbolic gestures once a year. This concern is not meant to deter people or organizations from participating and/or acknowledging this day, but rather to encourage deeper reflection and a commitment to disability inclusion that extends beyond a single date on the calendar.
How Anthology Supports Accessibility and Inclusion Year-Round
At Anthology, we honor International Day of Persons with Disabilities not only by recognizing the importance of disability inclusion, but by reaffirming our year-round commitment to accessibility. This day serves as a meaningful reminder of the work we do every day to make our products, services, and events more inclusive and equitable. Accessibility is built into our design process from the ground up, guided by a shared responsibility model and informed by direct collaboration with disabled users and advocacy groups. From transparent Accessibility Conformance Reports to inclusive product development and community partnerships, our approach goes beyond compliance; it’s about creating learning experiences that truly work for everyone. Celebrating this day is part of a broader, ongoing effort to center accessibility in everything we do. Anthology® Ally is a key part of this commitment, supporting institutions in creating more inclusive environments by proactively identifying accessibility issues and the guidance and context on how to address them, in addition to offering alternative formats that empower all learners.
What International Day of Persons with Disabilities Means to Me
These days, I identify as a proud disabled woman, but this wasn’t always the case. It wasn’t until I discovered disability studies as an academic discipline in graduate school that I found a way to confront my own internalized ableism. And this confrontation was not one “aha” moment with a motivational song playing in the background—it was a journey, one I am still on today. It was through the work of powerful disability scholars, like Alice Wong, Simi Linton, and Rosemarie Garland-Thomson, that I discovered ideas like disabled joy, the various models of disability, our shared history, and how we can teach others about its significance and meaning. One of the ways I chose to honor this important day was through the writing of this blog post. I immersed myself in the history of the day, the integral role the United Nations has played in it, and how we can honor it.
How to Honor and Celebrate the Day
We can honor the International Day of Persons with Disabilities by moving beyond symbolic gestures and committing to meaningful action. This means advocating for policies that promote accessibility and equity, amplifying disabled voices in every space, and challenging ableism wherever it appears. You can celebrate by hosting or attending events that center disabled voices and histories, sharing educational resources within your community, and reviewing your own practices for accessibility, such as adding captions to videos, working to make documents compatible with assistive technologies like screen-readers, or advocating for inclusive policies at work. Most importantly, use this day to listen, learn, and commit to creating spaces where everyone can participate fully. Use this day as a springboard to take that first step: attend a webinar, read a book on disability rights or the lived experiences of disabled people (Alice Wong’s Disability Visibility is a superb choice), add alternative text to an image, or start a conversation in your workplace about making accessibility a shared priority. Honoring this day is not just about recognition—it’s about building a world where disability rights are human rights, every day of the year.
Footnotes
- Douglas C. Baynton, "Disability and the Justification of Inequality in American History," in The New Disability History: American Perspectives, eds. Paul K. Longmore and Lauri Umansky, 33-57, New York 2001, cite p. 52
- www.linkedin.com/company/american-association-of-people-with-disabilities/posts/?feedView=all
- www.un.org/en/observances/day-of-persons-with-disabilities/background
