December 3—International Day of Persons with Disabilities!

Did you know…?

JOSEPH PRIESTLEY, the chemist who discovered oxygen, had a speech impediment. William H. Wollaston, who discovered rhodium and palladium, was visually impaired. And Sir John W. Gornforth, who received the 1975 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his work on the stereochemistry of enzymatic processes, was deaf. [Source: C&EN 2007, 85, 30, 42.]

Each year, the International Day of Persons with Disabilities (IDPWD) is celebrated on December 3, helping to bring awareness about the importance of equality for people with disabilities in all areas of society. The event was launched in 1992 by the United Nations General Assembly with the first day being marked on December 3 of that year.