1981, International Year for Disabled Persons
In 1976, the UN General Assembly announced that 1981 would be the International Year of Disabled Persons. India Post issued this stamp on 20th April in commemoration of the year.
The theme of the International Year of Disabled Persons was decided as “full participation and equality”. More specifically, the theme emphasised the rights of persons with disabilities to fully part-take in the life and development of their societies, enjoy living conditions equal to those of other citizens, and have an equal share in improved conditions resulting from socio-economic development.
Other objectives of the year focused on increasing public awareness, understanding and acceptance of persons with disabilities, and encouraging persons with disabilities to form organisations through which they can express their views and promote action to improve their situation.
A child with disability receiving physical therapy training at the Spastic Society of India in New Delhi in 1981
The global momentum created by the International Year for Disabled Persons contributed to India’s long-term commitment to disability inclusion. In the years following 1981, India enacted some of its most progressive disability rights legislation, including the Persons with Disabilities Act (1995) and later the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act (2016), aligning with the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD).
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