By ABIGAIL KONIG
Staff Writer
Yesterday on December 3rd, the International Day of Persons With Disabilities was recognized across America. This day was put in place to help everyone become more compassionate and understanding of the challenges faced by people with disabilities; whether it be mental or physical. The idea of this day is to ensure that all people across America, despite any disabilities, have the same opportunities for work, health, and educational success. In America, 12.8% of the population has some classification of a disability and often aren’t offered the resources to succeed in today’s society. How you can observe and recognize disabilities today and every day, is by becoming an advocate for the disabled and lend a helping hand. This could be anything from volunteering at community centers or voting for elected officials that create policies to aid people with disabilities. You can also just be compassionate. Sometimes, when we’re overwhelmed or in a rush, we snap at people who may slow us down, but we never know if that individual could be disabled. It’s important to remember to use kindness and patience no matter the person, even if you’re having a bad day.
