LOOK AT THE CHILD NOT THE DISABILITY

Unicef is urging people all over the world to change their views of children with disabilities.  In its report, The State of the World’s Children 2013: Children with Disabilities, Unicef states that children with disabilities are marginalized.  These children, in comparison to their peers, are:

• at a greater risk of poverty
• less likely to be given full educational opportunities
• less likely to receive appropriate health care.

Unicef asks us to remember that each child with a disability "is a sister, brother or friend who has a favourite dish, song or game; a daughter or son with dreams and the desire to fulfil them; a child with a disability who has the same rights as any other girl or boy." The report notes that many people underestimate the abilities of people with disabilities and this perception can cause discrimination and exclusion.

The report makes several recommendations including:

• The ratification and implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
• Active efforts in society to change attitudes towards disability
• Inclusion in society not just integration
• Including children with disabilities and their families in decisions affecting them
• Proper supports for families caring for children with disabilities
• Coordinating services across sectors including health and education
• Ending institutionalization

This report can be downloaded at:

http://www.unicef.org/publications/index_69379.html. 

Photo credit Unicef. 

©Mary M Conneely T/A Advocacy in Action