International Wheelchair Day
08 Feb 2023
International Wheelchair Day is held on the 1st of March each year. It is an annual day of celebration when wheelchair users celebrate the freedoms and positive impact a wheelchair brings to their lives. It’s a great day to also spread awareness of wheelchair users and to ensure everyone knows the rights of wheelchair users and people with mobility issues.
It’s also an important day for non-wheelchair users to recognise that wheelchairs offer users more independence and freedom, and they shouldn’t be looked at any differently from anyone else.
The history of International Wheelchair Day
International Wheelchair Day was first established in 2008 by Steven Wilkinson, who was born with Spina Bifida, so has been in a wheelchair for most of his life.
In 2008, he wondered if there was an annual day for wheelchair users to celebrate the positive impact wheelchairs have on their lives. After a quick Google, he found no such day!
He posted on his blog and on the 1st of March 2008, the first International Wheelchair Day was born! Since that first moment, he has worked tirelessly to help raise awareness of wheelchair users and people with mobility issues.
With the help of International Wheelchair Day and people like Steven, wheelchair users are getting the recognition they deserve, and the world is slowly becoming a more accessible place for all. There is still lots of work to be done though, so International Wheelchair Day, and other tireless campaigners will always be around to ensure these issues are regularly talked about and actioned.
How to celebrate International Wheelchair Day
International Wheelchair Day is celebrated with events and activities held across different communities all over the world.
If you were wondering how to celebrate the positive impact a wheelchair brings to your life on this special day, here are a few ideas:
- You could organise your own personal celebration with friends and family.
- You could organise a celebration with local schools, office places, or charitable organisations.
- You can write to your council or MP to help raise awareness of this special day.
- If you have accessibility issues in your community, it’s a perfect day to bring these to the attention of your local council.
These are just a few small ideas, you can celebrate this day in any way you like!
What are the main aims of International Wheelchair Day?
- It is a day for wheelchair users to celebrate all the freedoms and positives that their wheelchair brings to their lives.
- It is a day to thank the millions of people across the world who provide wheelchairs and who provide support to those that need it.
- It is a day to thank the campaigners and workers who are helping to make the world a more accessible place for wheelchair users.
- It is a great day to constructively acknowledge the fact that many tens of millions of people across the globe need wheelchairs but sadly can’t access one. A day such as International Wheelchair Day can help bring issues like this to the public’s attention, hopefully leading to a positive change.
Blue Badge Mobility Insurance
At Blue Badge Mobility Insurance, we celebrate wheelchair and mobility scooter users up and down the country. International Wheelchair Day is an important time of the year when we both celebrate wheelchair users and recognise the ongoing struggles they face every day.
Blue Badge have a friendly online community that discusses mobility topics and issues. If you would like to join the discussion, join us on our facebook page or on twitter.
If you are looking for more peace of mind when using your wheelchair or mobility scooter, Blue Badge can offer you the right insurance package for you. Contact us today to get a quote or contact us if you have any questions at all.
In the meantime, take a look at our FAQs page to see if we already have the answer for you.
There are other important days you should pop in your diary like Disability Pride Month.