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Saturday 6 July 2013

Remove barriers to integrate disabled children: Unicef----- Mumbai

Integrating disabled children into the mainstream is the focus of the 2013 Unicef's State of the World's Children Report released recently. The findings are pertinent for India which has signed and ratified the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.


The report states that true inclusion can be achieved if societies were to dismantle barriers to inclusion in children's environments, particularly schools, health facilities and public transport. A cursory look reveals that barriers for India's youngsters with disability start at accessing educational institutions, many of which don't have basic infrastructure in terms of ramps and accessible toilets. Such neglect could often have a cascading detrimental effect on a child's development. For instance, a child not attending school is likely to miss out on mid-day meal schemes that cater to his/her nutritional needs.


The report takes a participatory approach towards integrating youngsters, suggesting that countries should "move beyond minimum standards by involving children and adolescents with disabilities and their families in evaluating supports and services designed to meet their needs."


One of the most pressing issues where the population of disabled youngsters is concerned is the lack of relevant data on parameters as basic as prevalence of disabilities, the special needs of particular groups or status of disabled-friendly facilities available.


"The ultimate proof of all global and national efforts will be local, the test being whether every childwith a disability enjoys her or his rights - including access to services, support and opportunities - on a par with other children, even in the most remote settings and the most deprived circumstances," concludes the report, most rightly.

Source : TOI , 6th July 2013

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