IDDC statement celebrating the inaugural international day of care and support

Sunday, 29 October was the first ever International Day of Care and Support.  The International Disability and Development Consortium (IDDC) welcomes this important recognition of the vital role care and support play in creating an equitable and inclusive society, as well as the rights of people who receive care and those who provide it.

All of us will provide support for someone, or require support from others, at different stages in our lives. But many people, including persons with disabilities, still don’t receive the essential support they need to participate in school, at work, or in their communities.

Meanwhile, the indispensable work of people who provide care, whether paid or unpaid, is simply not recognised in the way it should be. Those providing support, often women and girls, find their own opportunities limited.

Recognising, redistributing and reducing unpaid care will be good for persons with disabilities and for society as a whole.  All persons with disabilities should have access to the support they need to participate in society with dignity and autonomy, and this support should be provided in line with their human rights, giving those in need agency over the kind of support they receive.

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The UN International Day of Care and Support

Statement from Volker Türk, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Human Rights 75 – time to transform care and support systems

Report of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Support systems to ensure community inclusion of persons with disabilities