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International Day of Persons with Disabilities 2025
December 3 is the International Day of Persons with Disabilities (IDPD). The United Nations created this day in 1992 to help people learn about disability issues and to celebrate people with disabilities all over the world.
This day is important for our organization. On or around December 3, many communities will gather for camaraderie, food, music, crafts, and stories to honour this day and to celebrate the contributions of the people we serve and support, and the ongoing road to accessibility and belonging.
We celebrated this day in many ways, including: a big birthday party for everybody and for Karis' 60th anniversary in Toronto, ON; a cruise-themed dance party in Chatham, ON; karaoke, dancing, and handing out cards and gift cards in Saskatoon, SK; a talent show organized by Our Voices Matter Ottawa, ON; a special gathering with food, games, and crafts in Niagara, and many, many more!
"It's an important day and we're celebrating today, but we're also mindful of the needs of people with disabilities," said Eugene Versteeg to Faith FM on December 3.
Eugene serves as Karis' Senior Vice President. In his interview with Faith FM, Eugene talked about how Karis is connecting with Christian communities to address some of the urgent needs that people with disabilities face.
"There are 52,000 people waiting for services right now in Ontario," Eugene shared. He went on to say that Karis has the unique opportunity to connect with more organizations, especially Christian churches, to meet the urgent needs of people with disabilities.
The United Nations theme for IDPD 2025 is "Fostering disability-inclusive societies for advancing social progress." This means focusing on how to include more people with disabilities in every place in our communities.
Happy International Day of Persons with Disabilities! You can follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn to see more celebrations from today.