BOTSWANA COUNCIL FOR THE DISABLED

WHITE CANE SAFETY DAY
2024-11-15 06:30 - 14:00 UTC | Molepolole, Kgosing Kgotla, Molepolole, Botswana

WORLD BRAILLE DAY
2024-01-04
World Braille Day on January 4 is celebrated to honour the birth of Braille’s inventor, Louis Braille. Braille’s gift to the world has brightened the lives of millions of people around the world who are blind or visually impaired, and they benefit from his work every day. The day also acknowledges that those with visual impairments deserve the same standard of human rights as everyone else.
History of World Braille Day
The term ‘Braille ‘was dabbed after its creator, Louis Braille was a French man who lost his eyesight as a child when he accidently stabbed himself in the eye with his father’s awl. From the age of 10 he spent time at the Royal Institute for Blind Youth in France, where he formulated and perfected the system of raised dots that eventually became known as Braille.
Braille completed his work, developing a code based on six dots, making it possible for a fingertip to feel the entire cell unit with one touch and moving quickly from one cell to the next. Eventually, Braille slowly came to be accepted throughout the world as the main form of written information for Blind people. Unfortunately, Braille didn’t have the opportunity to see how useful his invention had become. He passed away in 1852, two years before the Royal Institute began teaching Braille.
Braille’s marvellous aid that opened up a world accessibility to the blind and visually impaired was recognized by the United Nations general Assembly (UNGA). In November 2018, January 4th was declared World Braile Day. The first-ever World Braille Day was commemorated the following year and it was celebrated as an international holiday.

INTERNATIONAL WEEK OFF THE DEAF
2023-09-19 - 2023-09-25
What Is International Week of The Deaf?
International Week of the Deaf is an initiative of the WFD and was first launched in 1958 in Rome, Italy. It is celebrated annually by the global Deaf Community on the last week of September each year to commemorate the same month the first World Congress of the WFD was held. International Week of the Deaf is celebrated through various activities by the respective Deaf Communities worldwide.

Why is the International Week of the Deaf Important?

International Week of the Deaf is the only week in a year that sees highly concerted global advocacy to raise awareness about the Deaf Community on different levels. It is about gathering together, becoming united, and showing that unity to the rest of the world.
International Week of the Deaf strives to promote the human rights of deaf people and highlight topics that merit attention.
International Week of the Deaf aims to call for unity from the rest of the world through consistent, coordinated and widespread mobilisation to ensure that the campaigns are visible through sufficient media coverage.

Sources: https://wfdeaf.org/get-involved/wfd-events/international-week-deaf/

Bidii Yetu 2023 INCLUSIVE CYCLING
2023-05-25 - 2023-06-04
The Botswana Council for the Disabled has been approached by Bidii Yetu, an American Non-Governmental Organization whose mission is to raise awareness on disability rights, disability awareness and advocate for sports, and workforce capacity building for individuals with disabilities to participate in their campaign as they pass through Botswana.
The 2023 Bidii Yetu epic will see cyclists with and without disabilities riding from Swakopmund (Namibia) to Maputo (Mozambique), a journey that will take them 8 weeks, with 11 days being spent in Botswana from May 25 to June 4, 2023, cycling from Mamuno Border (Charleshill) to Ramatlabama Border Post. The Botswana lap will cover close to 700km, and we will have four segments: Charleshill to Ghanzi, Ghanzi-Kang, Kang-Jwaneng and Jwaneng to Ramatlabama Border Post, something that resembles a relay format. The first three Batswana cyclists (Champions) will welcome the Bidii Yetu team from Namibia and ride with them to Ghanzi and from Ghanzi to Kang. The another team will take from Kang to Jwaneng and Jwaneng to Ramatlabama border post.
Since the overarching objective of this epic challenge is to show that persons with disabilities are capable of achieving their set targets provided the community provides a supportive environment for them to pursue their dreams, the Bidii Yetu team willl have stop overs in the villages along the road to do motivational talks and make a call for all communities to strive to be inclusive and accommodative to tthe needs of persons with disabilities.

GLOBAL ACCESSIBILITY AWARENESS DAY
2023-05-18
Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD) was launched in May 2012 and is observed every third Thursday in May. It targets developers, designers and other creators to put a great focus on digital accessibility.
GAAD was originally inspired by a single blog post written by a Web Developer, Joe Devon, over 10 years ago, in 2011. In it, he called on developers to come together and work to bridge the accessibility gap by raising awareness and Global standards.

INTERNATIONAL DAY OF FAMILIES
2023-05-15
What is the International day of Families
The United Nations General Assembly, in its resolution 47/237 of 20 September 1993, proclaimed that 15 May of every year shall be observed as the International Day of Families.
The United Nations states that “this annual observance reflects the importance which the international community attaches to families as basic units of society as well as its concern regarding their situation around the world. The International Day of Families provides an opportunity to promote awareness of issues relating to families as well as to promote appropriate action. The Day can become a powerful mobilizing factor on behalf of families in all countries, which avail themselves of this opportunity and demonstrate support of family issues appropriate to each society.

WORLD AUTISM AWARENESS DAY
2023-04-02
What is World Autism Awareness Day
World Autism Awareness Day is celebrated on 2nd of April. World Autism Awareness Day (WAAD) aims to put a spotlight on the hurdles that people with autism and others living with autism face every day. As a growing global health issue owing to its increasing exposure in the press and common knowledge, autism is an issue that is only gaining more understanding and WAAD activities are planned every year to further increase and develop world knowledge of children and adults who have autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
What’s more, World Autism Awareness Day goes one step further to celebrate the unique talents of those with autism, while putting a huge focus on the warm embrace and welcome that these skills deserve through community events around the globe.
History of World Autism Day
Autism Spectrum Disorder is a developmental disorder characterized by behavioral and communicational affections that impact a person’s ability to navigate social interactions and also causes repetitive and restricted behaviour.
The first historical appearance of the word “Autism” was made in 1911 by the psychiatrist Eugen Bleuler, who used the term to describe a specific cluster of symptoms that were considered simple symptoms of schizophrenia as an extreme social withdrawal.
In that order, it was in 1943, when pediatric psychiatrist Dr. Leo Kanner characterized Autism as a social and emotional disorder in his article “Autistic Disturbances of Affective Contact”, and in 1944 Hans Asperger published his “Autism Psychopathology Article” where he described autism as a disorder of normal intelligence children who have difficulties with social and communication skills. These articles were an important contribution to the studies that helped to classified Autism as a disorder separate from schizophrenia in 1980.
With the continuous investigation and research on autism, World Autism Awareness Day was set to April 2 of each year by the “United Nations General Assembly” on “Resolution 62/139” and adopted on December 18 of 2007, to encourage member states to take action in raising awareness about people with autism spectrum disorder and support the research finding new ways to improve wellness and inclusion.
Finally, the notion of autism as a spectrum was developed in 2013 by the “American Psychiatric Association” in the fifth edition of the “Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders” by combining all subcategories of autism and related conditions into one unified category, including varied characteristics, severity, and presentation of the symptoms.
Sources:

https://nationaltoday.com/world-autism-awareness-day/
https://www.awarenessdays.com/awareness-days-calendar/world-autism-awareness-day-2022/

PURPLE DAY FOR EPILEPSY
2023-03-26
What is Purple Day for Epilepsy
Celebrated annually on March 26, Epilepsy Awareness Day, or Purple Day, was created to increase the public’s understanding of this brain disorder and to eliminate the fear and stigma surrounding it. With over 3.5 million people diagnosed with epilepsy in the U.S. and over 50 million worldwide, it is likely you know someone living with the day-to-day challenges epilepsy brings. The good news is epilepsy can be easily managed if diagnosed and treated correctly, so awareness and research are important.

History of Purple Day for Epilepsy
Cassidy Megan from Nova Scotia, Canada, founded Epilepsy Awareness Day with the first event held on March 26, 2008. Motivated by her own diagnosis and struggles of living with epilepsy, she realized the importance of everyone understanding this common neurological disorder. She created an avenue for people to learn, engage, and support the public’s education of epilepsy as well as dispel the myths and fears surrounding it.
Epilepsy is caused by electrical disturbances in the brain resulting in seizures of various types. It can be a scary condition to people who do not understand what is going on, which has led to many unnecessary assumptions and even laws about the disease and the capabilities of those who live with it. It’s the fourth most common neurological disorder after migraines, strokes, and Alzheimer’s. Estimates show that one in 26 Americans will develop epilepsy at some point in their life.
In 2009, the Anita Kaufmann Foundation partnered with the Epilepsy Association of Nova Scotia to launch Purple Day, bringing more collective attention and structured campaigns to the purpose of the day in the U.S. and internationally. Over 100,000 students, 95 workplaces, and 116 politicians participated in Purple Day events that same year.
The Anita Kaufmann Foundation trademarked Purple Day in 2011 and it has continued to expand its reach since.
Realistic and detailed purple ribbon in vector illustration.
Source: https://nationaltoday.com/epilepsy-awareness-purple-day/#:~:text=Celebrated%20annually%20on%20March%2026,fear%20and%20stigma%20surrounding%20it.

WORLD DOWN SYNDROME DAY
2023-03-21
What is World Down Syndrome Day
World Down Syndrome Day (WDSD) , 21 March, is a global awareness day which has been officially observed by the United Nations since 2012.
The date for WDSD being the 21st day of the 3rd month, was selected to signify the uniqueness of the triplication (trisomy) of the 21st chromosome which causes Down syndrome.

What is Down Syndrome
Down syndrome occurs when an individual has an extra partial (or whole) copy of chromosome 21. It is not yet know why this syndrome occurs, but Down syndrome has always been a part of the human condition. It exists in all regions across the globe and commonly results in variable effects on learning styles, physical characteristics and health.

Background
The estimated incidence of Down syndrome is between 1 in 1,000 to 1 in 1,100 live births worldwide. Each year, approximately 3,000 to 5,000 children are born with this chromosome disorder.
The quality of life of people with Down syndrome can be improved by meeting their health care needs, including regular check-ups with health professionals to monitor mental and physical condition and to provide timely intervention be it physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, counselling or special education. Individuals with Down syndrome can achieve optimal quality of life through parental care and support, medical guidance, and community based support systems such as inclusive education at all levels. This facilitates their participation in mainstream society and the fulfillment of their personal potential.
#InclusionMeans…
WDSD is a unique opportunity for the global Down syndrome community to connect every year, so we can:

share ideas, experiences and knowledge;
empower each other to advocate for equal rights for people with Down syndrome and
reach out to key stakeholders to bring about positive change.

Sources:

https://www.worlddownsyndromeday.org/
https://www.un.org/en/observances/down-syndrome-day#:~:text=In%20December%202011%2C%20the%20General,on%2021%20March%20each%20year.

INTERNATIONAL WHEELCHAIR DAY
2023-03-01
First launched in 2008, International Wheelchair Day is celebrated every March 1 for wheelchair users to celebrate the impact their wheelchair has had on their lives.

According to British blogger Steve Wilkinson, aka “WheelchairSteve,” who founded International Wheelchair Day, the purpose of the event is to:

Enable wheelchair users to celebrate the positive impact a wheelchair has in their lives.
Celebrate the great work of the many millions of people who provide wheelchairs, who provide support and care for wheelchair users and who make the world a better and more accessible place for people with mobility issues.
Acknowledge and react constructively to the fact there are many tens of millions of people in the world who need a wheelchair, but are unable to acquire one.

In the U.S. alone, approximately 3 million people rely on a wheelchair every day. And while wheelchairs provide people with a way to overcome their disability, accessibility issues continue to keep them from seeing much of the world.
A (Very Brief) History of the Wheelchair
To help celebrate International Wheelchair Day, and promote their Mobility Unlimited Challenge, the Toyota Mobility Foundation published a brief history of the development of the wheelchair:

While both chairs and wheels have been around of thousands of years, the Ancient Greeks and the Chinese were the first ones to think of combining the two. The Ancient Greeks are well known for their chariots, and records show that they used wheeled beds to transport people unable to walk. In China, wheelchairs have been in use since roughly 525 AD.
King Philip II of Spain, who reigned from 1527-1595, used a custom-built wheelchair with arm and foot rests; however, he had to be pushed and couldn’t propel himself.
In Germany in 1665, Stephen Farfler, who was a paraplegic watchmaker, built a wheelchair with three wheels and a hand crank on the front wheels. Thus, users could move themselves without assistance.
In 1887, wheelchairs (“rolling chairs”) were introduced to Atlantic City so invalid tourists could rent them to enjoy the Boardwalk. Soon, many healthy tourists also rented the decorated “rolling chairs” and servants to push them as a show of decadence and treatment they could never experience at home.
The X frame, very similar to models still in use today, was invented by two engineer friends, Herbert Everest and Harry Jennings, who was disabled, in 1933 because they wanted a chair that could be folded and fit in a car.
Canadian George Klein and his team are considered to have invented the first motorized wheelchair. Development began in the 1950s to help World War II veterans.

Source: https://www.prentrom.com/caregivers/international-wheelchair-day

INTERNATIONAL EPILEPSY DAY
2023-02-08
International Epilepsy Day is a special event which promotes awareness of epilepsy in more than 130 countries each year. Every year on the second Monday of February people join together to acknowledge and highlight the problems faced by people with epilepsy, their families and carers.
What is Epilepsy
It is estimated that more than 50 million people are living with epilepsy around the world. The word ‘epilepsy’ is derived from the Greek word meaning ‘to be seized, to be overwhelmed by surprise’. To have epilepsy is to have a tendency to have recurring seizures. Anyone can have a seizure, if the brain is exposed to a strong enough stimulus. It is not necessarily a life-long diagnosis. And doctors may consider that you no longer have epilepsy if you go without seizures for a long enough time.
Seizures
Electrical activity is happening in our brain all the time. A seizure happens when there is a sudden burst of intense electrical activity in the brain. This is often referred to as epileptic activity. The epileptic activity causes a temporary disruption to the way the brain normally works, so the brain’s messages become mixed up.
The brain is responsible for all the functions of your body. What happens to you during a seizure will depend on where in your brain the epileptic activity begins, and how widely and quickly it spreads. For this reason, there are many different types of seizure, and each person will experience epilepsy in a way that is unique to them.
Causes
There are many types of epilepsy. Some types start when you are very young, and some in later life. Some types last for a short time and other types can last for the whole of your life.
Sometimes the reason epilepsy develops is clear. It could be because of brain damage caused by a difficult birth, a severe blow to the head, a stroke, or an infection of the brain such as meningitis. Very occasionally the cause is a brain tumour. In around six out of ten people, doctors don’t know the cause of their epilepsy. For many of these people, it is just part of how they are made that makes them more likely to have a seizure.
Treatment of Epilepsy
Epilepsy is usually treated with epilepsy medicines, often referred to as anti-epileptic drugs (AEDs). Epilepsy medicines act on the brain, trying to reduce seizures or stop seizures from happening. Lots of people with epilepsy find that when they have the right medicine, they have fewer or no seizures.
Other Treatments
If epilepsy medicines do not work for you, there are other treatments that may help, such as:

Brain surgery
Vagus nerve stimulation
The ketogenic diet
Deep brain stimulation
Trigeminal nerve stimulation

Source: https://internationalepilepsyday.org/

Human Rights Day
2022-12-10
Human Rights Day is celebrated annually around the world on 10 December every year.
The date was chosen to honor the United Nations General Assembly’s adoption and proclamation, on 10 December 1948, of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), the first global enunciation of human rights and one of the first major achievements of the new United Nations. The formal establishment of Human Rights Day occurred at the 317th Plenary Meeting of the General Assembly on 4 December 1950, when the General Assembly declared resolution 423(V), inviting all member states and any other interested organizations to celebrate the day as they saw fit.[1][2]
The day is normally marked both by high-level political conferences and meetings and by cultural events and exhibitions dealing with human rights issues. Besides, it is traditionally on 10 December that the five-yearly United Nations Prize in the Field of Human Rights and Nobel Peace Prize are awarded. Many governmental and non-governmental organizations active in the human rights field also schedule special events to commemorate the day, as do many civil and social-cause organisations.

International Day of Persons with Disabilities
2022-12-03
International Day of Persons with Disabilities is an international observance promoted by the United Nations since 1992. It has been observed with varying degrees of success around the planet.

16 days of activism against gender-based violence
2022-11-25 08:00 - 2022-12-10 17:00
The 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence is an annual international campaign that kicks off on 25 November, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, and runs until 10 December, Human Rights Day. It was started by activists at the inaugural Women’s Global Leadership Institute in 1991 and continues to be coordinated each year by the Center for Women’s Global Leadership. It is used as an organizing strategy by individuals and organizations around the world to call for the prevention and elimination of violence against women and girls.

World Cities Day
2022-10-31
World Cities Day is an annual United Nations observance day held on 31 October. The global observance, first held in 2014, is organized by the United Nations Human Settlements Programme in coordination with each year’s selected host city.

White Cane Safety Day
2022-10-15
White Cane Safety Day is a national observance in the United States, celebrated on October 15 of each year since 1964. The date is set aside to celebrate the achievements of people who are blind or visually impaired and the important symbol of blindness and tool of independence, the white cane.

World Mental Health Day
2022-10-10
World Mental Health Day is an international day for global mental health education, awareness and advocacy against social stigma. It was first celebrated in 1992 at the initiative of the World Federation for Mental Health, a global mental health organization with members and contacts in more than 150 countries.

World Sight Day
2022-10-08
World Sight Day, observed annually on the second Thursday of October, is a global event meant to draw attention on blindness and vision impairment. It was originally initiated by the SightFirstCampaign of Lions Club International Foundation in 2000.

World Cerebral Palsy Day
2022-10-06
World Cerebral Palsy Day on 6 October was created by the Cerebral Palsy Alliance in 2012 and now brings together people living with cerebral palsy, their families, allies, supporters and organisations across more than 100 countries.
