In 1992 the International Day of Disabled Persons was officially observed for the first time by the United Nations General Assembly in resolution 47/3. The purpose of the day is to promote an understanding of disability issues and mobilize support for the dignity, rights and well-being of persons with disabilities.

It also seeks to increase awareness of gains to be derived from the integration of persons with disabilities in every aspect of political social, economic and cultural life.

The theme for 2014 is Sustainable Development: The Promise of Technology. The theme focuses on the fact that today there are over 1 billion people living in the world with some form of disability. Disability is associated with 20% of global poverty, of which the majority live in developing countries. Despite being the world’s largest minority group, persons with disabilities remain largely unnoticed by the mainstream media.

The technology theme for 2014 coincides with the launching of the new development framework of sustainable development goals. Three sub-themes were also chosen for the event:

• Disability-Inclusive Sustainable Development Goals
• Disaster Risk Reduction and Emergency Responses
• Creating Enabling Work Environments

At HDS MEDALLION® we are proud to recognize this important day and encourage everyone to look into how they can help promote the awareness of people with disabilities.