[The International Year of Disabled Persons: a physically handicapped person's retrospective and outlook (author's transl)].
Neither in the Federal Republic of Germany has the 1981 International Year of Disabled Persons (IYDP) brought about what quite a few disabled people had expected it to. It could not possibly have done so. The problems of people with disabilities are so complex that one year alone is not enough to make society aware of all of them, not to speak of sensitising the disabled and the able-bodied towards getting on well with one another, to achieve which would improve the life situation of disabled people to an appreciable extent. Yet something good has come about, though perhaps not in terms of "measurable effect", namely an increased consideration for people with disabilities on the part of the able-bodied. And this is essential to the future of the disabled population. Beyond New Year's Eve 1981, it is up to the disabled (and many of them are in a position to do so) to keep alive the many initiatives and issues raised by IYDP, and to see to their continued discussion.
D003142:Communication; D006233:Persons with Disabilities; D005860:Germany, West; D006801:Humans; D007391:International Cooperation; D011639:Public Opinion; D011788:Quality of Life
Das Internationale Jahr der Behinderten - Rückblick und Ausschau eines Köperbehinderten.