Lata Korde is a disability inclusion facilitator from Maharashtra, India. With support from the ’s SPARK project, funded by , she gained new skills and confidence and now advocates for the rights and employment of persons with disabilities.
Disabled persons
From 2021–2024, the strengthened disability inclusion in rural India, Malawi, Burkina Faso and Mozambique, training facilitators and expanding access to services ahead of International Day of Persons with Disabilities.
Diagnosed with Distal Myopathy in 2002, Yuriko Oda became a wheelchair user after childbirth and was driven by a desire to take her son to the beach, an experience that sparked the idea for better accessibility information.
In 2017, she launched WheeLog!, a user-generated accessibility map now used by over 100,000 people worldwide, earning her the 2023 Japan SDGs Award for inclusive innovation
Diana Jalba believes that nothing is impossible and that disabilities shouldn't limit us. At 29, she has cerebral palsy, a neurological disorder that affects her body movements and muscle coordination, but proudly lives independently in her apartment, managing her own life without needing to explain herself. Her main challenge lies in overcoming barriers to enjoy her rights. Recently, Jalba completed an internship with , which promotes the inclusion of marginalized groups facing discrimination. Through this program, she gained valuable skills and experience while working with mentors. She also takes pride in her work as a translator from home.
Despite being displaced and injured during the conflict in northern Sri Lanka, Leena has benefited from the project, promoting disability inclusion and gender equality.
Ahmad Al Nasser credits his success to self-belief and helping others overcome challenges. As a facilitator of a Farmer Field School in rural Hama, Syria, he has lived with a physical disability due to polio since childhood. With over 25 years of experience, he completed his education at the Veterinary Technical Institute and became a certified technician in bovine artificial insemination. Now, he works with 25 cattle keepers, sharing knowledge to improve livestock production. Under Ahmad’s guidance, local farmers achieved significant results, processing their own dairy products and increasing profits by bypassing middlemen. They also started producing organic compost and fodder for their cows.
World Food Programme Country Director in Lebanon warns of the urgent need for de-escalation as the region faces escalating humanitarian crises and over a million displaced people.
On the occasion of the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, and the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) are hosting a (27- 28 August), focused on leveraging Para sport as a catalyst for advancing disability inclusion. It is estimated that over 15% of the world's population live with a disability, and yet disability inclusion as a social movement is often overlooked, underfunded and misunderstood. UNESCO and the IPC aim to advance collective efforts to remove barriers, fight stigma, and increase access to sports and physical activity for persons with disabilities.
The Olympic and Paralympic Games unite people and celebrate the human spirit, but there's still work to do to ensure inclusiveness in sports. Many people continue to face challenges in exercising their right to participate in sports, including athletes living in poverty, athletes who speak out, athletes with disabilities, refugees, the LGBTIQ+ community, women and indigenous peoples. A young paralympic Iraqi table tennis champion and a member of the Refugee Team, both participating in the Paralympic and Olympic Games in Paris this Summer, share their thoughts about inclusion and belonging in sports.
Mines, explosive remnants of war, and improvised explosive devices continue to cause death and injury. On average, one person is killed or injured every hour. Many of the victims are children. Survivors of explosive hazards with disabilities, and all people with disabilities living through conflicts, are the focus of the 2024 commemoration of the International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action (4 April). Join the global effort to raise awareness and advocate for the needs and rights of all people with disabilities in conflict and peacebuilding settings.
Blind since shortly after birth, Stevie Wonder was designated as a UN Messenger of Peace in 2009 with a focus on persons with disabilities. He has advocated for the adoption of the to facilitate access to published works for persons who are blind, visually impaired or have other print disabilities. On the occasion of World Braille Day, Wonder’s messages of accessibility, inclusion, and unification remain a powerful call for global cooperation to support persons of different abilities.
Young people in Myanmar face challenges in accessing sexual and reproductive health and rights services (SRHR), worsened by the political crisis. The struggle is even harder for people with disabilities due to social misconceptions and stigma, social exclusion and a lack of awareness and understanding regarding these groups of people. The Access to Health Fund is supporting the Myanmar Medical Association in narrowing the SRHR knowledge gap for individuals with disabilities. This initiative brings in organizations that include and work with people who have disabilities – creating a safe space for people to express their unique needs and concerns.
ILO presents Design Thinking Workshop which allows to identify needs of persons with disabilities for supporting the design of social protection benefits enabling inclusion into labour market.
I was 21 when a mountain biking accident left me without the use of my legs. I that 1) anyone with any disability can be independent, 2) a disabled person can be productive on a farm.
All persons with disabilities should be afforded rights and freedoms. In Myanmar, works with local organizations to empower women and youth with disabilities to fully participate in public life.