On 1 March there is an annual celebration of wheelchairs and accessibility during the worldwide event, International Wheelchair Day.

First launched in 2008, International Wheelchair Day has grown annually from the first celebrations in Australia, Nepal, Sengal, South Africa, Bangladeshi, Pakistan, United States of America and here at home in the United Kingdom.
This year will see people worldwide celebrate the importance of using a wheelchair and the empowerment they have from the mobility aid.
Similarly, it is a day to promote understanding of wheelchairs and to highlight the urgent need for people across the world who don’t yet have access to the aid.
Wheelchairs are a powerful aid for millions of people.
Figures from the World Health Organization show that there is an estimated 650 million people living with a disability, and ten per cent are wheelchair users.
In 2003, figures revealed that an estimate 20 million people who require a wheelchair don’t have one. This is why International Wheelchair Day is so crucial to promote the people living without the vital aid of a wheelchair.
Enabling wheelchair users to celebrate the positive impact wheelchairs have on their lives, all the way to appreciating the millions of people working to provide wheelchairs to people across the world allowing them to live accessibly.
International Wheelchair Day is a positive movement for wheelchair users, their loved ones, carers, and wider society. Alongside the important awareness.
People have already began sharing their experiences of using a wheelchair: what are your plans to celebrate on International Wheelchair Day?
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