December 3 , 2007

International Day for Persons with Disabilities

"Decent work for persons with disabilities" - this year's theme for the annual observance on December 3 of the International Day of Persons with Disabilities - underscores the enormous challenges persons with disabilities face in securing gainful, paid employment.

More than 500 million people around the world have disabilities. And in most countries, roughly 80 per cent of people with disabilities are unemployed. In Canada one in eight people, or 3.6 million, has some form of disability and about 47 per cent are unemployed.

Denied employment often because of prejudice and a lack of access to the social supports to which they are entitled, many people with disabilities become trapped in a cycle of poverty and isolation and denied the opportunities that work provides to contribute to society and to nurture identity, self-worth and well-being.

As activists, trade unionists and people with disabilities know, disabilities need not be a barrier to employment and people with disabilities become disadvantaged only when they are not accommodated or denied access to the opportunities and supports that are generally available everyone in their communities. To achieve the goal of full participation and equality for persons with disabilities, the government must take a lead role in ensuring that needed training, education and support programs are accessible and that any extra services that are required by persons with disabilities are anticipated and factored into general planning.

As a signatory to the 2006 United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, the government of Canada has signaled its moral support for the Convention. Now it is time for the government to show leadership and ratify the Convention, which requires ratification by 20 UN member states in order for it to come into force. Currently only seven countries have ratified the Convention.

Article 27 of the Convention recognizes the right of persons with disabilities to work on an equal basis with others, including the right to the opportunity to gain a living by work freely chosen or accepted in a labour market and work environment that is open, inclusive and accessible to persons with disabilities.

At the PSAC's triennial Access Conference held in Ottawa in September, more than 110 delegates from across the country gathered to share and develop strategies to defend quality public services for persons with disabilities and to learn techniques to empower and engage persons with disabilities to advance the disability rights agenda.

The Public Service Alliance of Canada supports the rights of persons with disabilities to live and work in society with dignity, autonomy and equality. The PSAC is therefore committed to enacting comprehensive strategies aimed at eliminating disability- based discrimination and disadvantage in society and in the workplace.

The annual observance of the International Day for Persons with Disabilities aims to promote an understanding of disability issues and generate support for the dignity, rights and well-being of persons with disabilities. On December 3 people are encouraged to involve different communities in discussion about the political, civil, economic, social and cultural rights of persons with disabilities. Observance also presents opportunities for public discussions, information sessions and celebrations that recognize the contributions that persons with disabilities make to their communities.