International Day of People with Disability 2025 Community Conversation Guide
About this guide
We made this Community Conversation Guide
to help you discuss International Day of People with Disability and disability more broadly.
This guide can help you to build a more inclusive, respectful and understanding community
by talking about disability in your:
• workplace
• school/university
• community groups, including local sports clubs and volunteer associations.
You can have conversations about disability all year round, not only on IDPwD on 3 December.
What is IDPwD?
IDPwD is a United Nations Day recognised around the world on 3 December each year.
The day aims to promote community awareness, understanding and acceptance of people with disability.
In Australia, IDPwD is a joint effort between government, schools, organisations, businesses and individuals.
We encourage conversations around IDPwD to:
• challenge stereotypes and negative attitude
• recognise the contributions of people with disability
• build a more inclusive community.
Why should we talk about disability?
There are 5.5 million people with disability in Australia.
That’s 1 in 5 people.
Chances are you or someone you know has disability.
This could be a family member, friend, colleague or teammate.
Talking openly in your community about experiences of disability
can lead to a more accepting society where everyone can thrive.
When we talk about disability, it impacts on how people with disability feel about themselves.
It can also shape community attitudes and behaviour towards people with disability.
Through our conversations, we can:
• remind each other that people with disability deserve to be respected and value
• reduce stigma around disability by encouraging respectful language
and advocating for inclusive practices
• deepen our understanding, knowledge and perspectives of disability.
Defining disability
Disability can be physical, mental, intellectual or sensory.
It can be visible or invisible.
It can be permanent or temporary.
People’s support needs can also change.
There are many ways to define disability depending on the context and situation.
To guide your conversations about disability,
it is important to understand the ‘social model of disability’.
The social model seeks to change society in a way
that is more accessible for people with disability.
This is opposite to the medical model,
where society sees disability as something to fix or cure.
Under a social model, people with disability can be equal members of society.
We can achieve this by removing barriers such as:
• systems, policies, structures or practices in an organisation or society
that limit opportunities for people with disability
• attitudes, like assuming someone can’t do something because of their disability
• lack of knowledge and understanding about disability
• physical obstacles, like buildings without ramps or lifts.
Start the conversation
It’s okay to feel unsure about what to say.
It’s also normal to worry about saying the wrong thing or offending someone.
It’s not about being perfect – it’s about being respectful and open to learning.
Include disability voices
It’s important for people with disability to be part of your conversations about disability.
You can include the voices of people with disability in your conversations by:
• inviting people with disability to speak, write or lead an activity
• paying people for their time, effort and expertise
• creating spaces that are safe and accessible
• recognising that people can contribute without speaking.
There are also many organisations that represent the interests of people with disability,
who you can contact for advice.
Quote from Megan Spindler-Smith, Acting CEO, People with Disability Australia
People with disability must be at the table – not just as a token voice,
but as equitable partners in shaping policies and decisions that affect our lives.
Inclusion isn’t optional, it’s essential for a fair and just society.
Nothing about us, without us all.
Incorporate themes and topics
You may wish to include a theme as part of your activity or event.
This can encourage conversations about disability in your workplace, school or community group.
The United Nations usually announces the official theme for IDPwD
in late October or early November.
The theme usually focuses on how society can strive for inclusion
by removing barriers for people with disability.
Alternatively, you may wish to develop your own theme of disability, diversity and inclusion.
Here are some examples.
• Ableism –
discrimination of people with disability based on the belief they are inferior.
• Unconscious bias –
forming attitudes about people with disability without even realising it.
• Being a disability ally –
how to support the rights of people with disability without having disability.
• Disability rights –
the right to be safe and free from discrimination, regardless of disability.
• Intersectionality –
how overlapping aspects of a person’s identity can lead to more discrimination
• Equality(Same) vs equity (Fair) –
the idea that treating everyone the same may not result in fairness.
Language matters
Words are powerful – they can shape how society views and treats people with disability.
Using the right language can help people feel included, respected and understood.
Focus on the person, not the disability
People with disability are people first.
People who lead meaningful lives.
People who have families, work and are part of our community.
Avoid using words such as victim, sufferer, handicapped or not normal.
This assumes people with disability are objects of pity and can be deeply offensive.
It adds to the stereotype that people with disability are not equal members of our society.
First-person language
We generally use person-first terms,
such as ‘person with disability’ or ‘people with disability’.
This can help us to recognise the individual before the disability.
However, some members of the disability community prefer identify-first language.
For example, ‘disabled people’ or ‘Autistic person’.
Some individuals may choose not to identify as having a disability at all.
If you’re unsure, ask the person with disability about their language preferences.
Avoid inspirational language
It is common for the media to portray people with disability
as brave, inspiring or beating the odds.
While it may seem like a compliment, this can reinforce stereotypes and stigma.
It focuses on a person’s disability, rather than an individual’s personal accomplishments.
In the words of the late disability activist Stella Young,
‘using images [of people with disability] as feel-good tools …
based on an assumption that the people in them have terrible lives,
and that it takes some extra kind of pluck or courage to live them.’
Communicating with people with disability
People with disability have diverse ways they like to communicate and be treated.
Some people with disability may process information in different ways.
They may use alternative communication methods.
However, this does not mean that all people with disability have communication issues.
Remember to treat people with disability as individuals.
Respect their right to choose the communication that suits their preferences and needs.
General principles when communicating with a person with disability include:
• Focus on the person first, not their disability.
• Don’t patronise or talk down to people with disability.
• Use respectful and inclusive language.
• Speak directly to the person, not to their carer, support worker, family member or interpreter.
• Be aware of unconscious bias.
• Don’t make assumptions about what someone can or can’t do.
Ask before offering help and respect the person’s answer.
• Avoid using labels like ‘high functioning’ that rank a person’s ability
• Respect the individual’s privacy.
Some people may not want to share details about their disability, and that’s okay.
Don’t ask about their disability unless it’s necessary and appropriate.
• Consider an individual’s communication needs and always ask what works best for them.
For example, some people with disability may:
o Use interpreters, translators or technology,
which means it can take more time for them to respond
o need quiet or low-sensory space
o prefer written over verbal communication.
• Make sure that written communication is in plain language,
which is about using clear, concise and simple words.
This benefits everyone, including people with intellectual disability.
• Offer information translated into Auslan and languages other than English.
• Consider providing audio or an immersive reader to support written material.
• Be mindful of accessibility.
When you’re organising a meeting, event or catch-up, think about:
o physical access, such as ramps and accessible bathrooms
o visual or auditory needs, such as captions and Auslan interpreters
o clear communication, such as Easy Read materials
that are informed by best practice or tested with people with intellectual disability
o screen reader compatible PDFs and audio described versions
o sensory-friendly spaces
o allowing enough time and flexibility for people with disability to take part meaningfully
• Be open to feedback.
If someone corrects your language or behaviour, take it on board.
Quote from Claire Mitchell, Director, Down Syndrome Australia
People with disability want to take on roles and show what we can achieve.
We have the right to be leaders in our organisations and our community.
It is important for people with disabilities to have full participation in their lives.
Next steps
We know that learning to be more inclusive is a journey
and this Community Conversation Guide is just the beginning.
Once you start to have conversations about disability,
you may feel more confident talking about disability in an inclusive and respectful way.
Take your journey further by visiting the IDPwD website to:
- learn more about how to get involved in IDPwD, including checking out our event information kits for ideas on planning your own event
- watch and read stories about people with disability’s lived experience.
You can also follow us on Facebook and Instagram.
There are ‘Learn more’ links on the Conversation Guide site — full of helpful resources.
It’s worth exploring!