This week upon studying the Children's Defense Fund website, I followed a link to an article in the UNICEF website titled " On the twentieth International Day of Persons with Disabilities, a call to remove barriers that prevent equal participation in society."(unicef.org) On December 12, 2012, the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, individuals get together to call attention to the importance of promoting the rights of persons with disabilities and asking for support to build a more inclusive society that removes barriers to create equity for all. Individuals with disabilities remain the largest overlooked minority in the world encompassing 15 percent of the world's population including 93 million children aged 0-14 who face discrimination as a result of their disability in every aspect of their lives. (unicef.org) These barriers exist in many different forms such as negative attitudes, policies and legislation that discriminate and are not inclusive,and physical environments that are not accessible. (unicef.org) Many of the barriers that exist block many different resources available such as: acceptance into school or on the playground, access to health services, and basic nutrition or inclusion in emergency response. (unicef.org) These resources as well as many others are made unavailable to these individuals on a daily basis and prevent them from participating equally in society. (unicef.org) Executive Director Anthony Blake says in his fight to create equitable circumstances and environments, " Imagine a world where all children are included..involved. Where talents are celebrated..where contributions are recognized..where they count. That is the world towards which UNICEF is working."(unicef.org) UNICEF is working around the world with governments, United Nations agencies, civil society organizations and organizations of persons with disabilities towards creating and inclusive and accessible society for children with disabilities, which will not only benefit children and adults with disabilities but the entire population. (unicef.org)
Further research on this topic lead me to another ongoing effort creating more in equity for children with disabilities titled, " Improving schools for children with disabilities in Rwanda." (unicef.org) The story published on January 17, 2012, describes life five years ago for children with disabilities in Murama, a child friendly school in Rwanda's southern Bugasera District, feeling isolated from their classmates, unable to participate in even a simple game of hide-and-seek or football. Today, thanks to a better understanding of needs of individual children, this has changed. (unicef.org) Today there is a game called sit-ball, which is a version of volleyball that has the players sit so everyone can understand and appreciate difficulties faced by individual that cannot run or walk. (unicef.org) A recent national consensus of individuals living with disabilities found that even with improvements in legislation people and especially children face discrimination and stigma and are often treated as outcasts. (unicef.org) Currently UNICEF is collaborating with the Ministry of Education and partners to change perceptions especially in schools by training teachers to be sensitive and better able to cater to the special needs of children with disabilities. (unicef.org) Schools continue to improve and the government is working to make all schools child friendly places where children learn in healthy, welcoming, inclusive, and empowering environments. Murama is one of the few schools to have a special needs coordinator to care for the students with hearing or speaking difficulties and has also waived lunch and supply expenses for children with disabilities. (unicef.org)
On June 20, 2012 an article was released, " Children in South sudan urge greater protections for children with disabilities" which marked the Day of the African Child, which was June 16, commemorating the theme " The Rights of Children with Disabilities" and calls for more support for children learning with disabilities. (unicef.org) The need for child protection is growing more apparent in South Sudan, where child abductions, violence, malnutrition, disease and illiteracy continue to take toll on communities, while children with disabilities are especially vulnerable to abuse and neglect (unicef.org) Mary Charles, a visually impaired girl has experienced the discrimination first hand, she explains, "Sometimes they would take me to school and leave me there for a long time, sometimes they would not take me for a month, my message to my parents is that even a blind child has rights, they should put me in school so I can learn like the other children." (unicef.org) Nathan Wojia Pitia, the Director for Social Welfare the Ministry for Gender, emphasized the role of government and partners in increasing opportunities for children with disabilities and ensure every child's needs are supported and cared for. (unicef.org) The Handicap International ,UNICEF, Right to Play, and the organization for Vulnerable Children arranged an event with 15 children on a radio program in which the children said they often help their peers with disabilities, assisting them at crossroads, accessing public transport, and using the toilets at school, the radio platform allowed their message to be shared.
My understanding from their readings is that barriers exist in many forms in all parts of the world not just here in the United States and each individual area has their own contribution as a way of creating equity amongst children of disabilities whether it be through adjusting activities amongst students, more professional development for educators, or responding in other ways such as public forums, radio announcements and meetings with legislation. The message is there, the need for more inclusive, accepting environments for children experiencing disabilities as well as the need to address ending feelings of discrimination and accepting children for their talents, and strengths, not what others may see as weaknesses. This assignment gave me hope that things are changing not just here but in other countries and that one day the barriers that exist for individuals with disabilities will be a thing of the past and the future of education will, in time, bring hope and happiness to children and adults who once felt alone, isolated, and unappreciated.
References:
On the twentieth International Day of Persons with Disabilities, a call to remove the barriers that prevent equal participation in society Retrieved from http://www.unicef.org/disabilities/index_66531.html
Improving schools for children with disabilities in Rwanda Retrieved from http://unicef.org/infobycountry/rwande_61318html
Children in South Sudan urge greater protections for children living with disabilities Retrieved from http://www.unicef.org/infobycountry/southsudan_6266.html
What a great blog post, inclusive environments benefit children, families, and our society and I feel so blessed to live in a country that has done so much to ensure full participation of diverse populations. I agree that barriers exist and continue to exist due to a lack of understanding, I like the activity you described, "sit-ball", would probably work well in a work shop to create a better appreciation for the struggles and triumphs faced by those who are challenged by running or walking. I too am hopeful that with continued education and awareness of and access to inclusive environments we can continue to make responding to the the varied needs of special populations a priority here and afar. Such useful info!
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