World Arthritis Day 2009

‘Let’s Work Together’ is the theme for the 2009/10 World Arthritis Day. Work is an important part of all our lives and should be accessible to people with rheumatic diseases.

The EULAR World Arthritis Day campaign in 2009 kicked off with the launch of the EULAR Charter for Work for people with rheumatic diseases [click here] at the Action Against Arthritis event in Brussels in March.  A Charter Support Pack is available for national member organisations of EULAR to download [click here]

The 2009 WAD online survey was launched at the EULAR Congress in June and included questionnaires for people with rheumatic diseases, health professionals treating them and employers.  The survey results were used to highlight differing issues and perceptions of work and rheumatic diseases. Over 3,300 people completed the survey.

‘Picture This’ an online photo-competition and gallery was also launched in June.  People with rheumatic diseases were asked to send in a picture of themselves at work with a short description of why work is important to them and/or how they have been able to work successfully.   Visitors to the WAD website were able to vote for the picture and story they found most inspiring [click here].   A distinguished jury selected the best fourteen pictures in the competition to be made into panels for the Working Wonders exhibition [click here]. The fifteenth panel was the online winner and sixteenth the EULAR Charter for Work.