According to the United Nations more than 1 billion people in the world have permanent or temporary disabilities. More than 1 Billions. Are you as shocked at this number as me? More than 1 Billions. This is 4 times the United States population. If you are looking for quality disability support services anywhere and under any circumstances, you can find them on disability support Melbourne.
Even more shocking is the UN report that many suffer discrimination and lack services. The first “World Report on Disability” report reveals that “very few countries have the necessary mechanisms to meet the needs of people with disabilities …”.”
Human statistics can be difficult to understand. We focus only on the number, forgetting that they are fellow humans.
Here is an example to help you see the scale. The number people with disabilities is roughly equal the number of Catholics around the world. Or, roughly the Muslim faith. Or Hindu faith. Or Atheists. What if the world treated these groups as badly than we treat our disabled population?
Would it make you feel motivated to write to your politician if the truth was outed that 1/10 Catholics reported experiencing discrimination and inadequate healthcare?
How would you feel if your society were denying rehabilitation services, transport, or jobs to Atheists?
What would YOU do if your neighbor couldn’t shop at the local shop because they are religious? Would you be angry? You will.
We must not tolerate the discrimination against disabled persons. If disability was a religious belief, most right-minded people would be protesting.
We must recognize that disability rights are an issue of human rights and we should act on it now. Stephen Hawking, British physicist, said that the world community must remove obstacles to participation…and to provide sufficient funding and expert assistance to unlock their great potential.
The World Bank and World Health Organization both estimate that around one in seven global citizens have permanent or temporary disabilities. What can we do now to help?
Identify a charity that supports disabled people. There are many. Donate. Or volunteer. Write a letter and send it to your local politician. Insist structures are created with the disabled in view.
I have witnessed a human being grow as he was given the basics of existence. Work, respect, thoughtfulness. We can’t continue this if we don’t do anything, however small.