International Day of Persons with Disabilities: What it means for Manchester
December 3, 2024
Tuesday December 3 is the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, an annual event that began in 1992. The United Nations (UN) recognises this day to promote awareness and support for the "dignity, rights, and well-being of persons with disabilities'.
It covers a variety of issues that it believes are important to people with disabilities, including political, social, economic, and cultural issues. Each year, the day focuses on a different issue.
There are nearly 200,000 'hidden' disabled people in Greater Manchester, new data suggests.
According to census records, up to 20 per cent of the population are disabled in some parts of Greater Manchester. The proportion is highest in Tameside and Wigan where a fifth of people are registered disabled - but less than 13 per cent claim a disability benefit.
Government data suggests that 24 per cent of the UK population are living with a disability. You can see an interactive map and read more here.
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How Manchester's Christmas markets have become one of the most accessible in the country
Manchester’s Christmas Markets has been named one of the most accessible in the country, as it features its own special accessible toilet and changing station for the third year in a row.
In honour of the UN’s International Day of Persons with Disabilities (December 3), the Manchester Evening News went along to put this claim to the test.
Flick, 77, is chair of the group; she is diabetic and walks with a crutch. Katie, 37, is their administrator and she uses a self-propelled wheelchair. Pete, one of the group’s trustees, is autistic.
The markets' atmosphere on a Monday morning remained festive, despite the characteristic Mancunian drizzle. Flick, Pete and Katie pointed out a number of positives throughout, including wider walkways, plus a number of ramps and quieter areas.