Disability of children-An anathema to Child rights.
Children with disabilities and their families constantly experience barriers to the enjoyment of their basic human rights and to their inclusion in society.Their abilities are overlooked, their capacities are underestimated and their needs are given low priority. Yet, the barriers they face are more frequently as a result of the environment in which they live than as a result of their impairment.
While the situation for these children is changing for the better, there are still severe gaps. On the positive side, there has been a gathering global momentum over the past two decades, originating with persons with disabilities and increasingly supported by civil society and governments. In many countries, small, local groups have joined forces to create regional or national organizations that have lobbied for reform and changes to legislation. As a result, one by one the barriers to the participation of persons with disabilities as full members of their communities are starting to fall. Progress has varied, however, both between and within countries.
Many countries have not enacted protective legislation at all, resulting in a continued violation of the rights of persons with disabilities.
The social model of disability acknowledges that obstacles to participation in society and its institutions reside in the environment rather than in the individual, and that such barriers can and must be prevented, reduced or eliminated.
Environmental obstacles come in many guises and are found at all levels of society. They are reflected in policies and regulations created by governments. Such obstacles may be physical — for example barriers in public buildings, transportation and recreational facilities. They may also be attitudinal — widespread underestimation of the abilities and potential of children with disabilities creates a vicious cycle of underexpectation, under-achievement and low priority in the allocation of resources.
If you have a disability; you are 2X times more likely to end up poor.
Disability and poverty are dynamic and intricately linked phenomena. In developed countries, a large body of empirical research shows that persons with disabilities experience inter alia comparatively lower educational attainment, lower employment and higher unemployment rates, worse living conditions, and higher poverty rates. In developing countries, the still limited body of empirical research points toward individuals with disability being often economically worse off in terms of employment and educational attainment, while at the household level, the evidence is mixed. Deriving any conclusions on the association between disability and poverty in developing countries from this literature is problematic, given the lack of comparability of the disability measures, economic indicators, and methods in these studies.
Poverty is a pervasive barrier to participation worldwide.
It is both a cause and a consequence of disability. Families living in poverty are much more vulnerable to sickness and infection, especially in infancy and early childhood. They are also less likely to receive adequate health care or to be able to pay for basic medicines or school fees. The costs of caring for a child with a disability create further hardship for a family, particularly for mothers who are often prevented from working and contributing to family income.
In countries the world over children with disabilities and their families continue to face discrimination and are not yet fully able to enjoy their basic human rights. The inclusion of children with disabilities is a matter of social justice and an essential investment in the future of society. It is not based on charity or goodwill but is an integral element of the expression and realization of universal human rights.
The last two decades have witnessed a gathering global momentum for change. Many countries have already begun to reform their laws and structures and to remove barriers to the participation of persons with disabilities as full members of their communities.
