United Nations IDPwD 2023 Theme
The theme for IDPwD 2023 is ‘United in action to rescue and achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for, with and by persons with disabilities. ‘ The 2023 theme for IDPwD asks everyone to work together to make the world better and fairer for people with disabilities.
Every December 3rd, we, people with disabilities, celebrate International Day of the People with Disabilities. Our mission is to raise awareness of equity, human rights, and sign language and to promote collaboration and the closure of community gaps. Note the language – people with disabilities vs disabled people is more or less where people call themselves depending on informal or formal. “This term should always be avoided because disabled people do not want to be grouped as one. The preferred term would be disabled people (or people with disabilities, depending on which term you prefer).” https://celebratingdisability.co.uk/disability-language/#:~:text=Collective%20Labels%20and%20Positive%20Language&text=This%20term%20should%20always%20be,on%20which%20term%20you%20prefer).
In New Zealand, they address/call ‘disabled people’ than people with disabilities.
Have a read the United Nations Office in Geneva article. This article will help you understand more and how to address anyone with disabilities/disability.
What are Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)?
We, people with disabilities, live in houses, flats, and rest homes, working and non-working in the communities, and are often forgotten people in the communities by other people. Sure, here you go:
It is imperative that we are granted equal rights by all members of society, including agencies, the health sector, the business sector, the cabinet team, and political members. Denying us these rights is unjust and hinders progress and growth for all. Let us work together towards a fair and equitable society where everyone lives and works with respect and dignity.
We must not forget people/children with disabilities who lost their infrastructures such as homes, rest homes, hospitals, transports, and special equipment during the wars and floodings. Technologies such as mobiles and computers/laptops are valuable tools for communicating with their families and friends. Without technology, they will be lost and face giant, complicated, complex lives.
What about the playground for all children/teenagers with disabilities?
Is it accessible for all or not? Let’s start putting a thinking cap on and make the community playground more accessible and friendly by designing equipment, grounds, tactile and visual picture communication, non-verbal sharing, and hand-physical tools.
The Deputy Mayor of Hamilton confidently inaugurated the Magical Bridge Playground on December 1st, 2023, in the Hamilton, Waikato, New Zealand community, emphasising the event’s significance for the city’s residents. We are the first to establish the Magical Bridge Playground with a partnership with the Magical Bridge Foundation of Palo Alto, California, US, in the Southern Hemisphere of New Zealand. We are the first International Magical Bridge Playground. Currently, there are nine Magical Bridge Playgrounds, and we are the number ninth in the world. Five more playgrounds are coming – two in Singapore and three in California. I will have to double check often on the number of playgrounds.
Watch TEDxTalks here.
Having participated actively in the Disabilities Forum for several years, I was thrilled to join the discussion group Peter van Vroohoven requested through the forum in 2020 for a very short time.
My experience with many forums has taught me how important it is to have a platform where individuals with disabilities can come together to share their stories, exchange ideas, and discuss their unique challenges. As a result, I was excited to be a part of this discussion group and contribute to the conversation in any way possible.
I have been in touch with old friends, Bernice and Jack, who live in California, and we met through our Italy trip many years ago. We kept in touch every year, and I visited them at least six times in the past. Bernice wrote me a long letter about the Magical Bridge Playground in 2014-2018. Yesterday, in my mind, it was sad that I could not let Bernice know that we have a Magical Bridge Playground because Bernice and Jack have passed away, so I contacted her daughter and son through email. They were thrilled to hear about our news.
Life in Eureka 