It took global community, more than thirty-five years just to come out of their disability closet. Thirty-five years is a gross understatement, as we shift our start-line to 1945, end of the Second World War. We were fresh from the horrors that were inflicted by Nazi Germany on the civilian population. In 1948, all countries in the world ratified Universal Declaration of Human rights. This declaration required all member nations to ensure equal rights for all its citizens.
In 1976, UN general assembly announced 1981 as the international year of disabled persons (IYDP). In the next five years, UN asked all countries to ensure implementation of the bill of rights of the disabled. Thereafter, 1981 was to be a celebration of sorts. It was a mere beginning, however by 1981 many countries were able to bring discussion about disability out of the closet. A total of 70 countries observed IYPD with a postage stamp. I have stamps from 50 of these countries, presented in the following panels.
Empowerment, by engagement in sports
Antigua, miniature sheet on Wheelchair basketball and engagement in other sports such as swimming, archery, baseball, and athletics
Some IYPD 1981 postage issues were on empowerment. These issues depicted images of persons with disability, engaged in sports. As compared to older stamps, we find joy, competitiveness, and lack of dependence in these images.
Australia, postage stamp on Wheelchair basketball, and its first day cover.
Swimming is another independent sports engagement in some stamps. A swimming postage stamp write-up from 1981 carefully articulates need for equality.
Guernsey, SwimmingA 1981 writeup by Benham (an agency that issues private covers) on the Guernsey swimming issue. Please note that some taboo words of today (such as handicapped) are still there.
Other sports engagements include rifle shooting, and horse-riding. Again, these images have a focus on ability, rather than a disability.
Guernsey, Rifle shootingGuernsey horse riding
Empowerment, by engagement in a meaningful occupation
Some countries brought out issues on disabled in a work place. These stamps emphasise that despite disability, a person can be economically productive and viable. We can see some such stamps in the following panels.
Fourth in a series of postage stamps from GuernseyA miniature sheet with a postage stamp from Grenada. Postage stamp shows a wheelchair bound auto-mechanicPostage stamps from Saudi Arabia and Yemen identify individuals with a physical or a visual disability engaged in work. In a set of two stamps from Kuwait, we can identify a person playing billiards, and another wheelchair bound happy child. Other issues in this panel are from UAE and Afghanistan. In the above panel, postage stamp from east Germany (top centre) identifies an engagement in sports (javelin throw) and an an office. On the top-right, postage stamps from Austria and France depict individuals with a disability at their workplace. A set of two stamps from Andorra (bottom right) depict empowerment through education. Postage stamp from Malta (centre-bottom) depicts a person with a paint-brush, painting on a canvas. Others from Italy, Britain, and Finland symbolise disability through a wheelchair or a sign language. A First day cover and postage stamp issued by US post. This stamp shows a person sitting on a wheelchair and using a microscope. The cover shows a modified driving console for a person who cannot use foot brakes.
Empowerment through a better accesibility
If we need to integrate individuals with a disability into the mainstream, we will need to make spaces accessible. In the following section, we can see postage stamps that have had a focus on accessibility.
A set of four stamps in the centre is from Barbuda, with a focus on wheelchair accessibility, ease of travel, helping hands and braille signages. Three postage stamps from Surinam (on the right) indicate employment, compassion and learning through braille. Above panel has two postage stamps from Peru, that show IYDP symbol and a wheelchair to symbolise disability. Miniature sheet from Dominica shows an elevator panel, with numerals and their braille counterpart. In the centre Postage stamp from Costa-Rica identifies need for better accessibility, But does not provide a remedy. Postage stamps from Mexico (shows a broken toy), and Brazil (a bent plant) use symbolism for disability. Postage stamp from Guyana (top-right) is from a set of four. This stamp depicts French painter Pierre Auguste Renoir – who had Rheumatoid arthritis. In the above panel, we can see IYDP 1981 postage stamps issued by Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia and Brunei. A set of four stamps from Singapore (centre) show a ramp for a wheelchair, integration in society, occupational engagement and education. Two stamps from Thailand (left) show employment, and poor accessibility on a staircase. Stamp from Brunei (bottom-right) has a focus on wheelchair, the top-right stamp from Malaysia depicts empowerment with an engagement in sports.
Compassion and support
While many postal issues for IYDP had an empowerment focus, many others were about compassion, support and integration.
IYDP postage stamp from Japan. The First day cover has a mother and her newborn, who has a missing limb (congenital limb deficiency)On bottom right is postage stamp from India with IYDP logo, and its compassionate interpretation. A special cover from 1981, has Lion’s club logo as a special cancellation and a wheelchair bound person on the cover. Above panel has postage issues from Gibraltar, Cyprus, Vatican (on extreme left), San Marino and Spain (top centre), British Virgin Islands (centre-bottom) and Norway (top-right). All these stamps depict hope, support, and compassion. Postage stamps from Pakistan (left) depict individuals with a disability. Bangladesh postal issues (centre) show education and communication using a sign language. Miniature sheet from Maldives (right) shows Helen Keller a remarkable person and a disability rights activist.
Symbols of Disability
Some IYDP 1981 postage stamps used visual symbols of disability. Such symbols often use mobility assist devices, plants, animals and other such symbols. some of the previous and following panels have used such symbols.
A set of three postage stamps from Zaire, and a set of two from Zimbabwe. Postage stamps from Zaire (top left block) shows a bird with broken wings, and the two stamps below this block, have images of mobility assistance devices. The two stamps from Zimbabwe symbolise disability by using an orange banner across a limp (top right) or over a face (bottom right)Postage stamp from Tunisia (extreme left top) symbolised disability with a broken branch of a tree. Bottom left has a set of three from Libya. These use eye, and a person using crutches to symbolise Disability. The stamp in the centre is from Kenya, and the President of the country is seen facilitating a person on a wheelchair. On the right are two postage stamps from Nigeria (a person standing with one artificial limb) and Benin (a person on a wheelchair holding a flower)
Limitless abilities
A set of eight stamps from Rwanda, show children with a disability, engaged in various crafts such as knitting, pottery, carpentry, painting (top row). In the bottom row, we find children who are mobile, using sign language, playing blocks and skipping a rope.First day cover from Guernsey with all the four stamps of the IYDP issue in 1981
International year of disabled people (IYDP) 1981 was just a beginning. Suddenly all countries of the world were talking about disabilities. Countries pictured individuals with seeming “imperfections” on their postage stamps and posters. However, many rights, quest for accessibility and even education was years away. Despite a watershed in history of disability activism, many took an offence to the term IYDP. It took nearly two more decades, for us to move from “disabled people” to a “person with disability.” We will walk this journey in our next blog.
7 comments
Well Sir remarkable information it pointed out that more work for disabilities are required to be done and it’s a need for the same issue but not much interest is shown by people who work for it only limited to money criteria and want to earn out of it non of the society is well known doing services for the disabled children and younger generation it is much appreciated if the deep thoughts are given towards the same Thanks for sharing the remarkable information Sir
Good collection
As always..a very engaging read with an amazing collection of stamps sir!
So much finer details are depicted with ease and interest. Hats off to you, sir, for your passion and devotion
Good theme. However for the entire world at large, DisabilitY does not – only -begins with D and ends with Y. Rather it is a huge umbrella or a massive spectrum, wherein able people understand it only as being – physically disabled and misses out on the cues/signs of multiple forms of disability, whether mental or emotional or even physical, and then the sufferers and their families are subject to immense hardships and social stigma.
Well Sir remarkable information it pointed out that more work for disabilities are required to be done and it’s a need for the same issue but not much interest is shown by people who work for it only limited to money criteria and want to earn out of it non of the society is well known doing services for the disabled children and younger generation it is much appreciated if the deep thoughts are given towards the same Thanks for sharing the remarkable information Sir
Good collection
As always..a very engaging read with an amazing collection of stamps sir!
So much finer details are depicted with ease and interest. Hats off to you, sir, for your passion and devotion
Good theme. However for the entire world at large, DisabilitY does not – only -begins with D and ends with Y. Rather it is a huge umbrella or a massive spectrum, wherein able people understand it only as being – physically disabled and misses out on the cues/signs of multiple forms of disability, whether mental or emotional or even physical, and then the sufferers and their families are subject to immense hardships and social stigma.
Nice Article