International Day of Acceptance is observed every year on January 20 and it is the day to fill our hearts with the sublime powers of acceptance. It is important to be accepting of certain things in life. This idea unquestionably holds in the case of accepting the disability of the person. This is a day when people all over the world come together to support and embrace the challenges that come along with having a disability. International Day of Acceptance was created as a way to recognize social acceptance of disability.
HISTORY OF INTERNATIONAL DAY OF ACCEPTANCE
Acceptance is defined as the assent of a situation, process, or condition without an attempt to change it. We have all at some point in our lives experienced a situation where we were cast off or excluded from a group or a social gathering. Remember the time when you were not picked for a team or when your friends went out to a movie without you. Imagine if being excluded was just a regular part of your day-to-day life.
In an ideal world, all individuals would be accepted just as they are, no matter how different, no matter how unique. This was a vision of our real-life heroine Annie Hopkins. The day is dedicated to the social acceptance of those with disabilities and to honor the late Annie Hopkins.
International Day of Acceptance is a tribute to the founder of 3E Love and the creator of the Symbol of Acceptance Annie Hopkins. She founded 3E Love with the aim to make the world a better place by educating people about the importance of embracing diversity. The Symbol of Acceptance comprises a wheelchair in the shape of a heart. This symbol unified people of all abilities and helped ignite conversations that would help change attitudes for the better.
This day was created a year after Hopkins passed away due to unexpected complications that occurred during a simple medical procedure. Her brother, Stevie Hopkins, who helped her start 3E Love, founded an annual celebration to pay tribute to his sister’s life and work.