When is International Day of Persons with Disabilities?
International Day of Persons with Disabilities 2026 is on Thursday
Thursday, December 3, 2026
December 3 every year. That's in 60 days.
until International Day of Persons with Disabilities begins, in your time zone
The International Day of Persons with Disabilities is a UN day that promotes the rights and well-being of disabled people and calls for removing the barriers that keep them from taking full part in society.
About International Day of Persons with Disabilities
More than one billion people, about 15 percent of the world's population, live with some form of disability, according to the UN, and around 80 percent of them live in developing countries. The International Day of Persons with Disabilities draws attention to the barriers they meet in buildings, transportation, technology, education, employment and public attitudes, and to the gains for whole communities when those barriers come down.
The UN General Assembly proclaimed December 3 as the International Day of Disabled Persons in resolution 47/3, adopted on October 14, 1992, as the UN Decade of Disabled Persons (1983 to 1992) came to an end. The day's name was later updated to its current form.
The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, adopted in 2006 and in force since 2008, is now the main international framework for disability rights. It treats disability as the result of interaction between people with impairments and the attitudes and environments around them, rather than as a purely medical matter. The UN sets a theme for the day each year, and in 2019 the Secretary-General launched the UN Disability Inclusion Strategy to improve accessibility and inclusion across the UN system itself.
Sources: United Nations: International Day of Persons with Disabilities, United Nations: Background, General Assembly resolution 47/3 (1992), University of Minnesota Human Rights Library. How we check dates.
How to mark International Day of Persons with Disabilities
- Check your website, documents or social media posts for accessibility: add alt text and captions and use readable color contrast.
- Learn a few basic signs in your local sign language.
- Read and share work by disabled writers, artists and advocates.
- Ask your workplace or school how it handles accommodation requests and whether the process is easy to use.
- Report physical barriers in your neighborhood, such as broken curb ramps or blocked accessible entrances, to the local authority.
International Day of Persons with Disabilities dates
| Year | Date |
|---|---|
| 2025 | Wednesday, December 3, 2025 |
| 2026 | Thursday, December 3, 2026 |
| 2027 | Friday, December 3, 2027 |
| 2028 | Sunday, December 3, 2028 |
| 2029 | Monday, December 3, 2029 |
| 2030 | Tuesday, December 3, 2030 |
| 2031 | Wednesday, December 3, 2031 |
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Frequently asked questions
When is International Day of Persons with Disabilities 2026?
International Day of Persons with Disabilities 2026 is on Thursday, December 3, 2026. It falls on December 3 every year. In 2027, it is on Friday, December 3, 2027.
What is the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities?
It is a UN human rights treaty adopted in 2006 that sets out the rights of disabled people and the duties of governments to protect them. It entered into force in 2008.
Should I say persons with disabilities or disabled people?
Both are widely used. The UN uses person-first language, while many disability advocates prefer identity-first terms such as disabled people; when in doubt, ask people what they prefer.
Is International Day of Persons with Disabilities a public holiday?
No. International Day of Persons with Disabilities is an observance, not a public holiday, so schools, banks, government offices and most businesses keep their normal hours.