Expo 2020 Dubai marked International Day of Persons with Disabilities (IDPD) with a flagship event located at the Nexus for People and Planet venue, exploring issues such as inclusive accessibility, education, decent work, innovation and technology, and sport.

This year’s theme for IDPD, which is celebrated annually on 3rd December, is ”Leadership and participation of persons with disabilities toward an inclusive, accessible and sustainable post-COVID-19 world.” Co-curated with the UAE Ministry of Community Development and in partnership with the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA), the ‘Shaping an Inclusive Future for All’ specialist event featured talks by leaders in government and business, artists and athletes, to demonstrate the achievements of people of determination and showcase the ways individuals and organisations can work together to achieve inclusion.

Dina Storey, Head of Sustainability Operations at Expo 2020 Dubai, said, “In line with inclusion being one of the UAE’s key values, the team behind Expo 2020 is diverse, inclusive and dedicated to the task of delivering an exceptional Expo for all to the world, with people of determination playing an important role in the event’s lead-up and delivery. Expo 2020 is proud to be hosting this event marking International Day of Persons with Disabilities and looks forward to sharing its outcomes with the world.”

Speakers at the event included Hessa bint Essa Buhumaid, Minister of Community Development; Maria-Francesca Spatolisano, Assistant Secretary-General for Policy Coordination and Inter-Agency Affairs, United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs; Vladimir Cuk, Executive Director of The International Disability Alliance; Daniela Bas, Director of the Division for Inclusive Social Development, UN DESA and Dr. Victor Pineda, Founder and President, The Victor Pineda Foundation.

The multi-format event included lightning talks and moderated panels where participants shared success stories of bold approaches, partnerships and ecosystems that foster innovation and accelerate change by and for people of determination. Topics range from how to create a more accessible world for persons with disabilities to the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals.

Disability is referenced across the SDGs, specifically in the areas of education, growth and employment, inequality, accessibility of human settlements and data collection.

Expo 2020 Dubai is committed to creating opportunities for people of determination. Playing an active role in shaping the entire Expo experience, people of determination are among Expo 2020 volunteers and employees, while the entire site has been designed to be accessible for all, ensuring everyone is part of a global experience that celebrates the diversity of the world and encourages an inclusive future for humanity.

IDPD is a global observance celebrated every year on 3rd December with a motive to promote the rights and well-being of persons with disabilities in all spheres of society. According to the UN, nearly one billion people out of the total population i.e, 7 billion or approximately 15 per cent of the world’s population, live with some form of disability.