It was the United Nations that originally set December 3 aside as
the International Day for Persons with Disabilities, with a view to
creating awareness, understanding and action for the legal and social
rights of persons with disabilities. (International Day of Persons with
Disabilities - 3 December 2009)
CUPE’s Persons with
Disabilities National Working Group (PWDNWG) is active on many fronts
promoting and defending the rights of person with disabilities. We have
produced luggage tags which say “Disability Rights Are Human Rights”
and also a poster which highlights that one of the biggest barriers faced by persons with disabilities is that of attitudes and stereotypes.
The
working group has also been involved with Union Development in writing
a new course on disability awareness and creating
accommodation-friendly workplaces. The course will be piloted in the
new year.
At the CUPE national convention in Montreal last
October, the Disability Rights Activism Award was given to Sister
Catherine Peters, who is from the Hospital Employees Union, a division
of CUPE in B.C. Catherine’s involvement in the labour movement and the
disability rights community is a true inspiration. (Listen to Catherine Peters speak on disability activism.)
You can find out more about these initiatives on our disability page.
Increasing our awareness and knowledge about persons with disabilities
is critical in order to build a union which is truly inclusive.