Lowering hurdles to sport for persons with disabilities

The International Day of Persons with Disabilities has been marked every 3 December since 1992 to promote awareness and mobilise support for critical issues relating to the inclusion of persons with disabilities in society and development. According to the United Nations, a billion people in the world, 80 % of them in developing countries, live with disabilities today. Globally, an estimated 46 % of people aged 60 and over are among those with disabilities. Moreover, one in every five women and one in every 10 children are likely to experience disability in their lifetime. In the EU, there are over 70 million people with a disability, roughly equivalent to 17.5 % of the total population. This figure is set to rise rapidly over the next decade, given that the EU population is ageing and that more than a third of those over 75 have a disability. Worryingly, people with disabilities are among the hardest hit by Covid-19.