DUSHANBE, December 3, 2013, Asia-Plus – Tajikistan has celebrated International Day for Persons with Disabilities.
“On this occasion, various sports activities, including basketball and table tennis, were organized today for children with disabilities at Dushanbe’s specialized boarding school # 3,” Ms. Dilbar Sharipova, Director of Special Olympics Tajikistan, told Asia-Plus in an interview.
According to her, children with disabilities from districts subordinate to the center (RRP) and Dushanbe participated in the competitions.
Similar activities will be organized in Kulob on December 4 and in Khujand on December 5, Ms Sharipova noted.
Special Olympics is the world”s largest sports organization for children and adults with intellectual disabilities, providing year-round training and competitions to more than 4.2 million athletes in 170 countries. Special Olympics competitions are held every day, all around the world—including local, national and regional competitions, adding up to more than 70,000 events a year.
To-date, some 20,000 children with disabilities have been registered with Special Olympics Tajikistan.
International Day of Persons with Disabilities (December 3) is an international observance promoted by the United Nations since 1992. It has been celebrated with varying degrees of success around the planet. The observance of the Day aims 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. It was originally called “International Day of Disabled Persons”. Each year the day focuses on a different issue.
The theme for the 2013 International Day of Persons with Disabilities is “Break Barriers, Open Doors: for an inclusive society and development for all.”
Over one billion people, or approximately 15 per cent of the world’s population, live with some form of disability!
