Today is the International Day of People with Disability designated by the UN. In 1992, the UN General Assembly designated 3 of December as the International Day of People with Disability and agreed that the international community devote its best efforts to address issues related to disability including dignity, rights and health of people with disability and to enhance participation of and perception on people with disability in every sector of politic, economy, society and culture.
Since then, the UN adopted the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities with an aim to enable persons with disabilities to fully enjoy human rights and to protect and promote human rights of persons with disabilities. As of December, 2015, 159 nations around the world ratified the CRPD, and the international community continues to makes endeavor to improve human rights situation of persons with disabilities.
Korea laid diverse institutional foundation for promotion and protection of human rights of persons with disabilities which include legislation and enactment of various laws related to enhancing the rights of and prohibiting discrimination against persons with disabilities.
However, despite such efforts for promotion of human rights of persons with disabilities, the Korean society still witness human rights infringement and discrimination against persons with disabilities.
Every year, more than 1000 complaints related to disability discrimination are submitted to the Commission, and various types of human rights infringements and discrimination continue: violence and abuse against persons with disabilities living in care facilities, harassment against students with disabilities, and lack of access to public facilities and information for persons with disabilities.
Now is the time for us to change. We need to accept disability as one of diverse aspects of human being. In addition, we need to acknowledge that the disability does not come from physical or mental disabilities but rather it is attributable to social perception and environmental barrier that prohibits persons with disabilities from fully and effectively participating to social activities.
The UN adopted ‘enhancing access and rights of persons with disabilities for social integration’ as a main agenda on the International Day of People with Disability. The entire community and persons with disability themselves should make continuous efforts to eradicate human rights infringements and discrimination against persons with disabilities and to realize a world where their human rights are respected. The Commission, as an institution the rectifies discriminations against persons with disabilities, will continue to devote its best efforts to promote and protect human rights of older persons and to realize an world where everyone can enjoy equal life regardless of disabilities.
