What is the history of International Day of Persons with Disabilities?
According to the United Nations, the International Day of Disabled Persons, or what is now known as the International Day of Persons with Disabilities (IDPD), has been annually observed on December 3 since it’s creation in 1992 by the United Nations General Assembly resolution 47/3. This day aims to not only promote the rights and well-being of persons with disabilities at all levels of society and development, but also elevate awareness of the situation of persons with disabilities in all aspects of political, social, economic and cultural life. The World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) are some of the many organizations around the world that annually observe IDPD through campaigns and events.
Due to the complicated nature of disability, there is no single definition for it. The Governance and Social Development Resource Centre' (GSDRC), has compiled a list of the various ways international organizations, medical practitioners, disability activists, and individuals with disabilities have come to define disability using different models.
Fleischer, Doris Zames., and Frieda Zames. The Disability Rights Movement: From Charity to Confrontation. Philadelphia: Temple University Press, 2001. Print.
The Disability Rights Movement: From Charity to Confrontation provides a comprehensive history of the movement for access rights in the United States. In chronicling its history, Fleischer and Zames include personal interviews with activists, discussions of judicial and legislative victories, and research on disability rights among other informative material. An updated edition, which examines the ten year period of disability rights activism since its original publication and a new chapter on the impact of the Americans with Disabilities Act can be found as an ebook.
Wright, David. Downs: The History of a Disability. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2011. Print.
Downs: The History of a Disability discusses the medical and social history of Down Syndrome. Each chapter focuses on a different aspect of the history of Down Syndrome such as its early history in medieval Europe, how it was impacted by the Eugenics movement in the United States and how the name Down Syndrome came to be among other related topics. Wright’s book takes great care in highlighting the changing perspective of Down Syndrome by the medical community, society and by people living with Down Syndrome.
Finley, Erin P. Fields of Combat: Understanding PTSD Among Veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan. Ithaca: ILR Press, 2011. Print.
Fields of Combat: Understanding PTSD Among Veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan examines how American veterans and their families navigate Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder or PTSD. Using ethnographic research on PTSD in the United States, personal interviews with veterans and their families and discussions of common issues connected to PTSD like substance abuse, Finley, challenges popular ideas of PTSD while advocating for improved treatment of veterans living with it. While PTSD is not considered a disability in of itself, the symptoms of PTSD and their impact on a person’s ability to function may be regarded as a disability for some individuals experiencing it.
Grandin, Temple. The Way I See It: A Personal Look at Autism & Asperger’s. Rev. & expanded 2nd ed. Arlington, Tex: Future Horizons Inc., 2011. Print.
The Way I See It: A Personal Look at Autism & Asperger’s is a compilation of articles written by Temple Grandin, a regular column writer in the Autism Asperger’s Digest magazine. Each article is grouped in the book by theme and offers readers a personal look into the everyday experiences of a person living with Autism and Asperger’s.
Silberman, Steve. Neurotribes :The Legacy of Autism and the Future of Neurodiversity. New York: Avery, a member of Penguin Group USA, 2015. Print.
In Neurotribes: The Legacy of Autism and the Future of Neurodiversity, WIRED reporter Steve Silberman examines the history of Autism from a historical, scientific and advocacy-perspective. Included in his examination of Autism’s history are discussions of Hans Asperger, the physician whose namesake is used for Asperger Syndrome, Leo Kanner, a well-known child psychiatrist whose work centered on Autism, and the current neurodiversity movement.
Charlton, James I. Nothing About Us Without Us: Disability Oppression and Empowerment. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press, 1998. eBook.
In Nothing About Us Without Us: Disability Oppression and Empowerment, James I. Charlton presents a theoretical overview of disability oppression. In his examination of disability oppression, Charlton highlights its similarities and differences from racism, sexism and colonialism. Charlton supports his perspective through detailed interviews with disability activists from the United States, Europe and various developing countries over a ten-year period. Charlton ultimately concludes that it is people with disabilities that know what’s best for them.
Longmore, Paul K. Why I Burned My Book and Other Essays on Disability. Philadelphia: Temple University Press, 2003. eBook.
In Why I Burned My Book and Other Essays on Disability, disability activist Paul K. Longmore presents an overview of disability issues and activism that has occurred over the last century. Longmore’s book is divided into four units that provide a historical perspective on disability, discusses media portrayals of disability, explores assisted suicide and discusses the evolution of the disability rights movement.
Hall, Kim Q. Feminist Disability Studies. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 2008. eBook.
Feminist Disability Studies features a series of essays that intersect the perspectives of feminist theory and disability studies. Essays include discussions of the meaning of disability, the nature of embodiment, the impact of public policy on individuals who are labelled as disabled, and how norms of mental and physical ability are defined. Overall, these essays highlight the ways historical and cultural perceptions of the human body, and structures of power have contributed to the oppression of women and individuals with disabilities.
CLAIRE H. LIACHOWITZ. Disability as a Social Construct: Legislative Roots. University of Pennsylvania Press, Inc, 2011. eBook.
In Disability as a Social Construct: Legislative Roots, Liachowitz examines the ways American legislation has reduced the opportunities available for adults and children with physical disabilities. Through examining relevant legislation from 1770 - 1920, Liachowitz asserts that disability is not only the result of bodily impairment, but also imposed by society in order to devalue and segregate people who deviated from physical norms. Liachowitz concludes that legislation has perpetuated the idea that physical defects are a social and civil inferiority.
Ellis, Katie. Disability and Popular Culture: Focusing Passion, Creating Community and Expressing Defiance. London: Routledge, 2016. eBook.
In Disability and Popular Culture: Focusing Passion, Creating Community and Expressing Defiance, Ellis examines the ways popular culture influences the social and cultural construction of disability. Each chapter in her book focuses on a different intersection of disability with popular culture, such as media representation, identity, the beauty myth, aesthetics, ableism, new media and sport. Ellis’s discussion of disability also examines it within the context of various forms of media associated with popular culture including film, television, magazines, advertising campaigns, children’s toys, music videos, sports and online spaces.
Evans, Nancy J et al. Disability in Higher Education: A Social Justice Approach. First edition. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass, 2017. eBook.
In Disability in Higher Education: A Social Justice Approach, Evans, et al. examines how higher education conceptualizes disability, and explores how college campuses view and serve students, faculty and staff with disabilities. Using existing theoretical frameworks, such as universal design principles, research and their experiences creating inclusive campuses, Evans, et al. propose in their book a new framework that understands disability through a social justice lens.
Piepzna-Samarasinha, Leah Lakshmi. Care Work: Dreaming Disability Justice. Vancouver: Arsenal Pulp Press, 2018. eBook.
Care Work: Dreaming Disability Justice features a series of essays written by Leah Piepzna-Samarasinha on disability justice, the creation of care webs, collective access, and radically accessible spaces. Included in the book are Piepzna-Samarasinha’s survivor skills and wisdom based on her history of disability activist work and her identity as a queer disabled BIPOC poet and essayist.
Smith, Scott Thompson, and José Alaniz. Uncanny Bodies : Superhero Comics and Disability. University Park, Pennsylvania: The Pennsylvania State University Press, 2019. eBook.
Uncanny Bodies: Superhero Comics and Disability features a collection of essays that explore how the superhero genre provides the means for engaging with issues of disability, intersectionality of identity (race, ethnicity, class, gender and sexuality), and envision different ways of being. Chapters include discussions of well-known and lesser-known superhero characters, and how superhero abilities reflect, resist or reevaluate cultural conceptions of disability.
Wodatch, John. Disabilities and the Americans with Disabilities Act, 1992. Honolulu, Hawaii: [Wong Audiovisual Center, University of Hawaii at Manoa], 1995. Film.
Disabilities and the Americans with Disabilities Act, 1992 features John Wodatch, a director of the Office of the Americans with Disabilities Act and the principal author of the Act, discussing the history of the legislation, events leading up to the passage of the Act and an overview of the Act.
Rees, Robert M. et al. Counterpoint. UH Center on Disability Studies. Honolulu, Hawaii: [Wong Audiovisual Center, University of Hawaii at Manoa], 2004. Film.
In Counterpoint. UH Center on Disability Studies, host Bob Reese and guests from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa’s Center on Disabilities Studies discuss the challenges facing people with disabilities.
Miller, Robbin. Perceptions, Mythologies and Stereotypes. Alexandria, VA: Microtraining Associates, 2010. Film.
In Perceptions, Mythologies and Stereotypes, host Robbin Miller discusses with panelists Sonia Perduta, Mike Kennedy and Joe Bellil about the mythologies and stereotypes associated with describing persons with disabilities. They also teach new ways of learning positive images of persons with disabilities.
Perrin, Julie C. Drowning in the Mainstream: Adults with Invisible Disabilities. Los Angeles, CA: University of Southern California, 2015. Film.
Drowning in the Mainstream: Adults with Invisible Disabilities examines the American cultural narrative and misconceptions surrounding mental and physical disabilities. The video seeks to initiate dialogue on recognizing invisible disabilities and improving accommodations for them.
Information and Technical Assistance on the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA.gov)
The United States Department of Justice Civil Rights Division website on The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA). The website includes information about current regulations for ADA, ADA standards for accessible design, ADA technical assistance and ADA enforcement.
Disability Language Style Guide
This style guide from the National Center on Disability and Journalism (NCDJ) provides information on common words and terms used when referring to disability. Included in the guide is a brief background history of the word/term as well as the NCDJ and the Associated Press (AP) style recommendations surrounding the use of the word/term.
Leeward Community College Disability Services Office
This webpage includes information about the Leeward Community College Disability Services Office. Information includes descriptions of disability services, steps to apply for services and contact information for staff.
Pacific Disabilities Center - Resources
This webpage includes a list of resources curated by the Pacific Disabilities Center, a center that is a part of the Research Corporation of the University of Hawaii (RCUH) and affiliated with the John A. Burns School of Medicine, for persons with disabilities and special needs in Hawaii. Both local and national resources are included in the list.
Library for the Blind and Print Disabled
This webpage includes information about the Hawaii State Public Library System’s Library for the Blind and Print Disabled. Information includes the hours, location and services.
