Nope, neither did I.

Sometimes, rightly, these ‘designated days’ can seem a little contrived. But sometimes, they can really help to shine a light on issues that need our attention: issues that, perhaps in the day to day, pass us by.

December 3rd is the International Day of Disabled Persons, founded in 1992 by the United Nations General Assembly, to raise awareness and promote the rights and perspectives of persons with disabilities around the world.

For each one of us, our immediate reality is understandably our own version of ‘normal’. But that differs vastly from person to person, family to family. The International Day of Disabled Persons helps all of us to broaden our horizons of ‘normal’: it throws a spotlight on the estimated one billion people living with disabilities worldwide, who face many barriers to inclusion in key aspects of society that many of us take for granted.

The opportunity to engage with this community is always there, but the scheduled spotlight of the International Day of Disabled Persons helps us to pause for thought and take advantage of a great opportunity for us all to take action toward making our world – and our schools – more inclusive for everyone.

In the w/c 29th November, our Collective Worship assembly for primary schools shared the story of a father and son team who together overcame challenges despite disability. Check out a teaser trailer here:

We can all be inspired by how Team Hoyt responded to difficulty with strength and courage, and achieved incredible things!

Some things you might want to think about in response to the International Day of Disabled Persons:

  • How can your school become more inclusive for everyone? What content does your school offer in terms of teaching about protected characteristics?
  • What attitudes in yourself/pupils/colleagues/family/friends do you need to challenge?
  • What can you learn from Jesus’ example of love and welcome in the Gospels?