“I urge all countries to fully implement the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, increase accessibility, and dismantle legal, social, economic and other barriers with the active involvement of persons with disabilities and their representative organizations.”
— António Guterres, UN Secretary-General
Last week, the United Nations marked the International Day of Persons with Disabilities. Begun in 1992, this annual observance aims to promote an awareness of disability issues and generate support for the rights and well-being of persons with disabilities—around the globe. This annual commemoration also seeks to highlight the value that comes when persons with disabilities are fully integrated into every aspect of community life.
Additionally, during this year’s commemoration, the UN chose to further amplify the striking, and widespread, inequalities that led to persons with disabilities being the hardest-hit group during the ongoing COVID-19 global pandemic. Therefore, the UN called for disability inclusion to be a cornerstone of every community’s COVID-19 recovery and relief effort.
This work is vital. According to the UN, it is estimated that one billion people around the globe live with a disability. Yes, you read that correctly. One BILLION. That’s a staggeringly large segment of the population. Of that number, 80% of disabled people live in poor, developing nations. So, the interest of disability rights should, indeed, be a global concern. After all, it is a condition of life that touches all of humanity— in one way or another.
Amplifying disabled voices, especially diverse voices, is a priority at Anthesis. Many of our participants are from immigrant families— and this diversity is one of the most integral parts of community life here at Anthesis. So, we thought that the International Day of Persons with Disabilities would be a great time to highlight the work of some disabled activists of color from around the world. The work they do ripples across borders— and we can all learn something from their life experiences as we try to advance disability rights and inclusion here at home.
So, without further ado, here is a list of 4 global activists. Please click on the links below to learn even more about their work!
Maryangel Garcia Ramos — a disability activist from Monterrey, Mexico that works to break stereotypes about disabled women. A wheelchair-user since the age of 14 due to a neurological condition, Garcia Ramos founded a nonprofit called Mexican Women With Disabilities to advocate for policy and legislation to advance rights for women with disabilities. (https://facebook.com/mexicanascondiscapacidad)
Emmanuel Ofosu Yeboah— a Paralympic athlete and activist from Ghana, West Africa, Emmanuel was born in 1977 with an orthopedic impairment of his leg. Wanting to highlight disability issues, he rode a bicycle 400 miles across Ghana in 2001 to show that disabled people are able achieve great things. Along the journey, he spoke to disabled children and gave speeches to church and community leaders. After gaining worldwide fame for this effort, he started The Emmanuel Education Foundation to assist disabled students. He is also the subject of a 2005 documentary, narrated by Oprah Winfrey, called Emmanuel’s Gift. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emmanuel_Yeboah)
Ola Abu Al Ghaib — after becoming paralyzed during a childhood illness, Ola has spent her life advocating for the rights of people with disabilities. She has worked with a number of international organizations, including UNICEF, the World Health Organization, and the International Disability and Development Consortium. (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ola_Abu_Alghaib)
Alice Wong — is a research consultant and disability rights activist based in San Francisco. Born with spinal muscular atrophy, she founded the Disability Visibility Project— working to ‘create, share and amplify disability media and culture’ by collecting historical recordings of interviews with disabled people. (https://disabilityvisibilityproject.com/)