International Day of Persons with Disabilities Speech

Speech by Liri Kopaçi-Di Michele

Head of Equality Division, Human Dignity and Equality

Council of Europe

Ladies and Gentlemen, good morning!

“What counts in life is not the mere fact that we have lived. It is what difference we have made to the lives of others that will determine the significance of the life we lead.” This inspiring quote from Nelson Mandela points out that the impact we have on others is based on the connection that we make. Art, creating it and sharing it, offers us precisely this opportunity. To show others something of ourselves, to share our creativity and to offer the opportunity to connect.

I am delighted to be here today at the opening of the exhibition “Every Human is a Piece of Art” on the occasion of the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, surrounded by like-minded collaborators and friends.

I would like to thank the Permanent Representation of Albania and the Down Syndrome Albania Foundation for co-organising this beautiful exhibition of an Albanian artist, Soela Zani at the Council of Europe. 

The 3rd of December has been designated by the United Nations to be commemorated annually as the International Day of Persons with Disabilities to promote awareness and mobilise support for critical issues relating to the inclusion of persons with disabilities in society and development. Today, we will harness the power of art to shape an inclusive and compassionate society.

When we see someone using a wheelchair, a guide dog or a prosthetic limb, or someone with Down syndrome, we focus on the differences rather than our shared ground, such as our shared social identity, political status, our abilities, our aspirations, and our dreams. Persons with disabilities seem to be people to whom something unfortunate has happened, for whom something has gone terribly wrong.

The European Disability Forum estimates that there are 80 million Europeans living with one or more disabilities. This means that over 15% of the whole European population has some form of disability; it means that one in four of us Europeans have a family member with a disability.

We, at the Council of Europe, are shifting the focus from disability to ability. We believe that persons with disabilities are entitled to have access to and enjoy the full range of human rights, and we are closely working with our Member states to make this vision a reality. These rights are safeguarded by the Council of Europe’s European Convention on Human Rights, and the European Social Charter, the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, as well as all other international human rights instruments. 

Throughout our work and activities, we, at the Council of Europe, aim not just to set standards and uphold the human rights of persons with disabilities, but also to empower persons with disabilities to bring down barriers and allow, for example, better access to study, to work, to make use of skills and talents, to compete in sports, to create and share art, and to make a difference in each other’s lives.

Art can spark change. Art can connect us on unseen levels. Look around you. Look at these pictures. Children with Down syndrome have re-created famous paintings to show that everyone is a work of art. Through her talent and work, the author of this exhibition manages to immediately capture our attention and connect us with something universal and yet unique. This could sound as a contradiction, but it is not. I believe it’s the universality of the values that we share that allows each of us to express our uniqueness. And it’s our capacity to embrace uniqueness that will preserve the universality of our values.

Dear friends,

Let’s our world become our collective masterpiece: a world of equal opportunities for all persons, a world that puts human dignity first and that values each citizen’s contribution to its perfection.

 

Thank you!