This week, Linda Hunt talks about the International Day of Persons with Disabilities. It is observed every year on December 3rd. The 2022 theme for International Day of Persons with Disabilities was “Transformative Solutions for Inclusive Development: The Role of Innovation in Fueling an Accessible and Equitable World.” 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. Linda Hunt shares her experience at Puerto Vallarta Airport and her thoughts about this year’s IDPWD.
About the Host:
Linda Hunt Is an Award-Winning Accessibility Consultant, Speaker, and Author. She is the CEO of Accessibility Solutions and an Advocate for all things related to accessibility.
Linda is the Treasurer of Citizens with Disabilities – Ontario a member of the Rick Hansen Foundation Accessibility Professional Network and a Certified Community Champion on the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and its Optional Protocol.
Linda first became a person with a disability in 2004 since then she has been an active and engaging speaker to groups on a variety of accessibility topics.
In addition, Linda is a business owner. Along with her husband Greg they have operated Grelin Apparel Graphics for over 30 years.
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Transcripts
Speaker:
Hi there. Thanks so much for joining me this week. This week we're going to talk about International Day of Persons with Disabilities. And the International Day of Persons with Disabilities is observed every year on December the third. The 2022 theme for International Day of Persons with Disabilities was transformative solutions for Inclusive Development, the role of innovation in fueling an accessible and equitable world is observed annually on December the third and it was proclaimed 1992 by the United Nations General Assembly. That makes this our 30th year of International Day of Persons with Disabilities.
Speaker:
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.2022 Global Observance was to commemorate around three overarching themes, innovation and transformative solutions for Inclusive Development. Innovation for disability inclusive development in employment, innovation for disability inclusive development in reducing inequity and innovation for Disability Inclusive Development sport as an exemplar example.
Speaker:
While these are the three official themes of the 2022 International Day of Persons with Disabilities, I want to reflect on my experience this year as a person with a disability myself, but also something that I thought was a great initiative and I was very, very pleased to be able to take part in it this year.
Speaker:
So my husband Greg and I were travelling this year, and we were flying home from Puerto Vallarta on December 3rd, which was International Day of Persons with Disabilities. But I really have to put a shout out to Puerto Vallarta International Airport, who were promoting the day of International Day of Persons with Disabilities by offering free massages to passengers in the terminal.
Speaker:
And while you might think wow, free massages in the terminal, how does that promote International Day of Persons with Disabilities? So there was quite a lineup for the free massages because who doesn't want a massage before they get on a, in our case a five and a half hour flight back home to Canada.
Speaker:
But what was I think for me the most exciting thing to experience was that the massage therapists that were giving the massages were all blind. And this in my mind was just an awesome way to highlight the value of persons with disabilities, especially in employment. So just you know, they gave great massages, they were trained massage therapists. They had the knowledge and the skills required to be massage therapists. And if it was not for the factthat you asked how the free massages were linked to International Day of Persons with Disabilities. You would never have known, that in fact, the massage therapists that were providing this valuable service in giving massages to people, to travellers who were either departing or arriving at the Puerto Vallarta airport as part of their long travel day, but also that these massage therapists were employed in a field that requires in Canada a two-year college degree programme and the fact that their disability does not at all stop them from being qualified and in fact the gentleman and I had an excellent massage therapist.
Speaker:
So that was my experience this year. It was uniquely different. I usually do a podcast I've done an event in the past to mark the day. This year because I was travelling I wasn't able to do anything kind of online or in person. But the fact that I'm able to that I was able to participate in the day in a very valuable meaningful way to me was something that I found just an awesome awesome way to recognise International Day of Persons with Disabilities.
Speaker:
So if you head over to our social media channels, you will see some pictures of me getting a massage by a very trained and qualified massage therapist who just happens to be blind. So I'm, I'm sitting there in my wheelchair, as a person with a disability, getting a massage from a massage therapist who happen to have a disability as well. And neither of our disabilities. hampered that from being able to happen so I really truly give a shout out to the Puerto Vallarta airport, who observed the day and they were promoting the understanding of disability issues, mobilizing support for the dignity, rights, and well beings of persons with disabilities, but also showcasing persons with disabilities in an employment setting.
Speaker:
That that as I said was nobody that was lining up, gave any thought whatsoever to the fact that their massage therapist was blind so that really, you know, wraps up this episode of the podcast. I do urge you, to check out the pictures on page, we have tagged the Puerto Vallarta International Airport and recognise them for their efforts. And this year, International Day of Persons with Disabilities, which in 2022 was the 30th year that it was observed but this year for me, it truly was international. I was in another country and able to take part, in an event that was observing the day and was just so very, very pleased to see the true international perspective of the day being observed. And, again, I just can't say enough about the event that that they were putting on to promote the day.
