Children with Disabilities HRBA, Equity and Inclusive Development

Challenges & Opportunities for UNICEF

AND WHO ARE THE

EXCLUDED?

WHO ARE THE ‘BENEFICIARIES’ OF

DEVELOPMENT?

Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities

Article 1 - Purpose To promote, protect and ensure the full and equal enjoyment of all

human rights and fundamental freedoms by all persons with disabilities, and to promote respect for their inherent dignity.

Persons with disabilities include those who have long-term physical, mental, intellectual or sensory impairments which in interaction with various barriers may hinder their full and effective participation in society on an equal basis with others.

CRPD•153 signatories•110 ratifications

Optional Protocol •90 signatories•63 ratifications

UNICEF’s Mandate

UNICEF’s mission statement:

-priority to the most disadvantaged children;-identifies CWD as being among the most disadvantaged ;-requiring special protection.

CRC, together with CRPD and CEDAW:

- UNICEF foundation to uphold the civil, cultural, economic, political, and social rights of all girls, boys and women in the world, including those with disabilities.

The CRPD institutes:- PERSON(S) WITH DISABILITIES

Also Correct:•individual(s) with disability or disabilities

•people with disabilities or disability

Disabled People also acceptable.

Disabilities as:

- Will of God/test from God- Divine punishment - More humane to end “life of pain/suffering”

I will kill youso you stop

suffering

People with disabilities considered:

•inferior, useless, dependent•A burden to society, live on charity, lower social status•Families hide them out of shame•Objects of pity, humiliated in relationships with others

Disability considered only a health problem, medical issue

Solutions decided by "experts”, based on diagnosis

Focus in elimination or cure of disability, “normalization”

(includes pre-natal genetic testing & selective abortion)

We will rehabilitate you so you can

overcome all barriers

EMPLOYMENT

Problem belongs to individual: disability results directly from impairment of the person.

People with disabilities are part of society and inclusion must be promoted (health, education, training, work…)

Independent living movement is born

PwD are organized, get stronger

Sectors of society, especially “disability professionals”, see this as cause to worry

From MEDICAL to SOCIAL model

SOCIAL MODELHe cannot vote because the stairs prevent him from reaching the ballot box.

MEDICAL MODELHe cannot vote because he is disabled.

Recognizes that disability is a part of society

More comprehensive and global. Considers:

- Civil and political rights (voting, freedom of expression )

- Economic, social and cultural rights (health, education ...)

- PwD and their families reclaim their place as PERSONS, with rights and duties.

The main issue is in society rather than in the individual

Equal opportunities and full participation

in political and social life.

Anyone at any time can acquire an IMPAIRMENT of any kind and can become permanently or temporarily DISABLED. Impairment relates to the way people function in their environment and in society.  

It may be present from birth or it may develop during a lifetime, through malnutrition or disease, accident, violence or abuse, or environmental conditions. As people age, so too does the possibility of acquiring a visual, hearing, physical or other type of impairment. 

Different kind of IMPAIRMENTS may generate different kinds and levels of FUNCTIONING LIMITATIONS but, if we can eliminate barriers in society, these limitations may not necessarily become a DISABILITY.

IMPAIREMENT & DISABILITY

Whether an individual will be considered “disabled” is strongly related to the enabling or disabling environments that surround that specific person, including society’s attitudes and social norms.  If barriers are eliminated and there is positive interaction between the person and the broader environment, so there will be greater opportunities for personal empowerment, social participation and inclusion.

If the individual may not be able to overcome the existing societal barriers, even with support and specific accommodations, this interaction will reinforce stigma, discrimination and lead to disempowerment and exclusion.

IMPAIREMENT & DISABILITY

Equity issue becomes clear when

1+1= minus 2

Gender + disabilityMinorities + disability

Indigenous + disabilityRace + disability

Refugees + disabilityOrphans + disabilityPoverty + disability

and other associations, including all of the above

INVISIBILITY – STIGMA - EXCLUSIONmost excluded are the ones with multiple factors combined

Functioning Diversity Environment

To guarantee a fair selection, all

will have the same exact test – climb up on that

tree.

Equity = Equal Opportunities

Interaction between persons with different levels of functioning and

an environment that does not take those differences into consideration.

HOW IS DISABILITY DEFINED AFTER THE CRPD?

Disability= Functioning limitation x EnvironmentNote: we are using “functioning limitation” as a synonym of “impairment”.

Environment Impact in the relation between disability and functioning

FL 1 x E 0 => 0 DisabilityFL 5 x E 0 => 0 DisabilityFL 1 x E 1 = 1 DisabilityFL 5 x E 5 = 25 Disability

FL: FUNCTIONING LIMITATION E: ENVIRONMENT

Beyond the typical areas of impairments (physical, sensory, intellectual and mental), people in general face ‘disabling’

conditions in a society that is unprepared for diversity.

Disability is part of each and every individual’s life cycle

Advances in medicine HIV-AIDS survivors =

= higher life expectancy.

People living with AIDS potentially living with disability associated with, or as consequence of, medication.

Every day, new causes of disability…

Also, PwD at risk of contracting STI, HIV-Aids due to greater vulnerability to sexual abuse, and lack of access to information, communication and services.

Why not make life easier for

all?

This could be the SAME person at different times of their life

None of them would be able to open that door…

INCLUSIVE DESIGN

INCLUSIVE DESIGNA HUMAN-CENTERED DESIGN

All principles, actions and components should be conceived under an inclusive approach, from design to implementation.

Persons withdisabilities should be visible and actively engage in all phases

Inclusive & Sustainable Public Policies

It is estimated that the additional costs to bring inclusive access to infrastructure is lower than 1% in the stage

of designing and planning

Poverty & Disability

WHO/WB estimate approximately 15 percent of world’s population has a disability. This translates into over a million

people, at least 200 million being children with disabilities (CWD), 80% of them living in developing countries.

Poverty not only from economic perspective, but social exclusion and powerlessness

Vicious cycle between poverty and disability

About 80% of disabilities have causes associated to poverty. An estimated 130 million people globally acquired a disability due to malnutrition.

Causes of Impairments

About 80-90% of persons with disabilities are unemployed or outside the work force. Most of those who have jobs receive little or no monetary remuneration.

Disability, Employment and Social Protection

In Ecuador, 84% of persons with disabilities have no insurance benefits.

High prevalence of disability amongst conflict-affected populations: ex-combatants, civilian and refugees.

Refugees with disabilities face double vulnerability of being a refugee and having a disability.

Disability and Conflict

Emergencies - conflict or natural disaster:

In the short-term: - injury and malnutrition, leading to disability.

Disability in Emergency Situations

Haiti, 2010

In the longer term: - destruction of health and education services

- higher rates of disease

- all resulting in disability.

- PwD must be included in the planning of humanitarian responses (providing shelter, sanitation, health-care, food and education).

UK:Poverty rate: PwD = 23.1%Non-disabled people = 17.9%

If extra expenses associated with being disabled added,

Poverty rate disabled people = 47.4% (Amartya Sen)

Poverty & Disability

Disability and Education

Estimated 40 million of 115 million out-of-school children have disabilities.

UNESCO: 90% of children with disabilities in developing countries do not attend school; therefore absent in school data sets, and invisible on national policy agenda.

Estimated 30% of world’s children who live on the street are children with disabilities.

Disability, Child Mortality and Child Protection

In Kazakhstan, 80% of fathers are reported to abandon their wife and family upon the birth of a child with a disability (ADB). The situation is similar elsewhere.

Mortality for children with disabilities may be as high as 80% in countries where under-five mortality, as a whole, has fallen to below 20%. In some cases, it seems as if disabled children are being “weeded out.” (DfID, UK)

Disability Data in Mozambique

• Education: A higher proportion than normal of PWD who have never attended school; or have a low frequency; or high dropout rate. Men with disabilities have a higher proportion of school dropout than women (65%).

• A higher proportion of women with disabilities have never attended school (53%) - twice than of women without disabilities, as well as men with and without disabilities.

• The proportion of PCD who can write was higher than the general population (24% versus 15%). Almost a quarter of PCD cannot write while in the general population the proportion is less than 1/6. The number of women/men with disabilities who cannot write was higher than that of the general population.

• Communication and information: availability and accessibility to telephone, radio, television, internet, banking facilities, newspapers, post office and library. PWDs have significantly limited access to different forms of communication and information compared to the general population.

PWDs Living Conditions Study in MOZ

 

Access to Services

Incidence of low and moderate disabilities is higher than severe disabilities. Most cases can be attended at the community level, with simple, cost-effective interventions.

Without necessary attention, low functional limitation, can become severe disability, generating high risk of social and economic exclusion.

Inclusive and Sustainable Public Policies

Cost of special services to address the specific needs of each group in society is much higher and less cost effective than of those of public policies and programs designed and implemented for all.

Based on Human Rights and Equity Approaches:

Recognizes DIVERSITY as fundamental aspect in process of socioeconomic and human development.

Recognizes the contribution that each human being can make to development process.

Promotes an integrated strategy benefiting society as a whole, rather than implementing isolated policies and actions.

Is an effective approach for overcoming social exclusion, combating poverty and ensuring social and economic sustainability.

Sustainable Development means Inclusive Development!!!Sustainable Development means Inclusive Development!!!

Inclusive Development

• Build on existing opportunities; propose inclusive strategies in initiatives already being implemented;

• Develop capacities among different actors to advocate and negotiate for inclusive policies, programs, humanitarian actions;

• Establish mechanisms for participation and collaboration of PwD,CwD & families in design, implementation, M&E of policies, programs and humanitarian actions.

• Invest in public discourse & communication to change attitudes towards people with disabilities.

Strategies for Promoting Inclusive Development

Across all MTSP FAs:

Selected Examplesfor

MTSP Focus Areas

MTSP 1: Young Child Survival and Development

• all projects, including ECD, health promotion, social protection: consider CwD & families among their clients

• all projects related to health, nutrition, WASH, prevention, etc.: adopt outreach efforts towards CwD and their families; ensure access to information, communication & social services (including transportation & access to surrounding areas)

• all YCSD initiatives: address attitudes of service providers & community; incorporate inclusive components e.g. appropriate services & approaches for parents and CwD, accessibility, and staff training on CBR.

MTSP 2: Basic Education and Gender Equality

- all teacher training : inclusive education perspective; address attitudes towards CwD

- CFS & quality education initiatives: promote inclusive education

- life skills & sexual/reproductive health initiatives: equal access to children and young PwD

- policy advocacy: mainstreaming of CwD in formal & non-formal education

- all gender mainstreaming efforts should include girls and boys with disabilities

- all sexual & reproductive health initiatives, including prevention & provision of services: specifically include girls, women, boys and men with disabilities as direct clients & as service providers

- all public education materials & initiatives: accessible to & inclusive of children & adults with wide range of disabilities

MTSP 3: HIV-Aids & Children

PREVENTION: ALL OF US HAVE A ROLE TO PLAY

MTSP 4: Child Protection

• all family services (e.g. child care, parenting education): include families of CwD; address attitudes towards PwD

• training of service providers, alternative care/foster care providers: include building understanding of CwD & how to care for them

• capacity building to prevent, detect & manage abuse/exploitation: include building understanding & skills to cope with different types of disability

• engagement with community & faith based organizations: address stigma & discrimination

MTSP 5: Policy Advocacy & Partnerships for Children’s Rights

• Advocate for & facilitate dialogue on rights-based approach to CwD; promote ratification, implementation & monitoring of CRPD

• Strengthen DPO capacity to effectively advocate for ratification of CRPD & monitor its implementation: focus on rights of CwD

• Support national statistical offices/government agencies to include disability in census & household surveys, and disaggregate data to include CwD

• Support participation of CwD & their families in design/revision & monitoring of policies & legislation, & development of inclusive strategies for systems strengthening

NOTHING ABOUT US WITHOUT US!

THANK YOU!Rosangela Berman Bieler

Chief, Disability UnitGender, Rights and Civic Engagement Section

Program DivisionUNICEF

Three United Nations Plaza, Room 452, New York, NY 10017Tel: 212-824-6067 - Fax: 212-735-4420

e-mail: rbermanbieler@unicef.org – web site: www.unicef.org