World 'must welcome disabled', says UN chief Ban Ki-moon
UN leaders demand stigma and barriers be torn down so millions of the disabled can contribute
Secretary General Ban Ki-moon opened a historic UN meeting of world leaders "to break barriers and open doors" for the more than one billion disabled people around the world.
The goal of the first ever high-level General Assembly meeting to discuss the plight of the disabled aimed to spur international action to ensure that the disabled can contribute to the global economy.
"Far too many people with disabilities live in poverty (and) too many suffer from social exclusion" and are denied access to education, health care and social and legal support, Ban said.
The meeting was the prelude to the annual UN gathering of presidents, prime ministers and monarchs, which started yesterday.
The World Health Organisation said a huge increase in hearing aids, glasses and wheelchairs could improve the lives of hundreds of millions of people. But the disabled must also overcome other hurdles, including discrimination and stigma.
Stevie Wonder, the blind singer-songwriter who is also a UN Messenger of Peace, said: "I wish for a day when there would be technology available for the blind ... for every single blind person or persons with disabilities all over the world."
General Assembly President John Ashe stressed the importance of a global commitment. "Given the size of such a marginalised group, the onus is on us all to ensure that any future sustainable development goals include the disabled," he said, referring to new UN goals being debated for 2015 to 2030 to fight poverty and promote equality.
