As we enter the 22nd century, disability continues to pose a serious challenge to human rights because there remains a societal perception of people with disabilities as burdens, individuals who are unable to be equal to other individuals and are frequently denied the right to participate in the general school system and the workplace, live independently in the community, vote, participate in sports and cultural activities, enjoy social protection, access justice, and enter into legal contracts independently, such as acquiring and selling assets. Globally, the World Health Organization estimates that 13 billion people are acutely incapacitated, this equates to 16 percent of the world’s population in perspective. Additionally, a disability can be visible or invisible – some people are born with a disability, while others may acquire it as they age or due to an accident.
It is now fully recognized that major challenges are still to be addressed to enable the inclusion of people with disabilities. Many people in our society currently prefer to claim ignorance as to the existence of negative factors before admitting that they may be a contributing factor. The negative attitudes and beliefs that we have are exactly what have led to the greatest challenges confronted by people with disabilities: stigma and discrimination that have allowed injustice to continue as long as it does not upset the status quo, having an impact on accessibility, equality, equity, and the full and meaningful participation of people with disabilities in our society.