Children with Disabilities

A disability includes a physical impairment such as mobility, hearing, visual, and language difficulties, and developmental delays which affect a person’s behaviour, emotional expression, and learning abilities. It includes mild to severe disabilities, from cerebral palsy, paralysis and amputation, to blindness, deafness, autism, and dyslexia. Children may be born with an impairment, or develop one as a result of disease, abuse, or an injury, e.g. many children are the victims of shootings, bombings, and explosions in conflict affected areas.

The degree of disability a person experiences is frequently related to society’s adaptation to meet the needs of people with varying abilities. This is known as the social model of disability which highlights the role of the environment in reducing or increasing the ability of individuals to participate equally in everyday life. For example, a person in a wheelchair has the impairment of not being able to walk. The disability, however, may be that he cannot take up services due to a lack of building access. Protection workers must consider any additional needs or risk factors a person may have as a result of his impairment and disability. Children in developing countries are more vulnerable to disability since poverty and conflicts increase the incidence of impairments, and reduce the provision of necessary health, education, social services, and adaptive provisions to help include children of all abilities.

Children with impairments or special needs are highly vulnerable to discrimination, abandonment, abuse, exploitation, injury and death, since they are more reliant on the cooperation and support of others to meet their basic needs, and may be less able to express their wishes. In some cultures, children with special needs are actively excluded from participating in society since they may be viewed as a source of shame, or unworthy of care and protection.

Government policies should seek to reduce the incidence of injuries and diseases via adequate health care, including education, immunizations, nutrition, and sanitation. All programming and policies for children should promote the social inclusion of children with disabilities at every level. Children should benefit from the reduction of physical and social barriers, adaptation of services and/or rehabilitation assistance in order to enable them to participate as fully as possible in their communities. This includes family support, health facilities, access to education, and respite services to enable children to fulfill their potential. Children of all abilities must be empowered to express their views and to influence their own lives.

The resources in this section focus on children with disabilities in developing countries, and those affected by conflict. They highlight their vulnerability to exclusion and abuse, and provide examples of projects to address the needs of children with special needs.

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Protecting children and adolescents with disabilities from the pandemic

UNICEF Europe and Central Asia, 2020

This post from the UNICEF Europe and Central Asia website describes how UNICEF is mobilizing to protect marginalized and vulnerable children – including those with disabilities – against the impact of COVID 19 in the region.

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Impacts of Positive Parenting Intervention on Stress Management of Mothers Having Children with Intellectual Disability in Birhan Lehetsanat Rehabilitation Center, Addis Ababa

Tadele Zebrea, Belay Tefera, and Bhatara Mohit - European Journal of Molecular & Clinical Medicine, 2020

The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of the Positive Parenting Program (Triple-P) in enabling mothers to manage stress related to parenting a child with intellectual disability (ID).

Repository of resources on disability inclusion and Covid-19

International Disability and Development Consortium Inclusive Health Task Group (IDDC IHTG) and the CORE Group Disability Inclusive Health Technical Advisory Group, 2020

This document is a repository of resources focusing on Covid-19, disability, mental health, chronic health conditions and related topics curated by the International Disability and Development Consortium Inclusive Health Task Group (IDDC IHTG) and the CORE Group Disability Inclusive Health Technical Advisory Group.

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Bahasa Indonesia Translation - Disability rights during the pandemic: A global report on findings of the COVID-19 Disability Rights Monitor

Disability Rights Monitor, 2020

This report (translated into Bahasa Indonesia) has one central purpose: To raise the alarm globally as to the catastrophic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on persons with disabilities worldwide, including children with disabilities, and to catalyse urgent action in the weeks and months to come.

Voices of People with Disabilities During the COVID19 Outbreak

International Disability Alliance, 2020

On this page, you will find stories from people with various disabilities across the globe sharing their experiences with the COVID-19 outbreak and pandemic risk reduction strategies implemented by their governments.

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Youth-Centered Transition Planning for Students With Disabilities Who Experience Foster Care

Robin Harwick - Special Education Design and Development Tools for School Rehabilitation Professionals, 2020

This chapter describes a youth-centered approach to transition planning for this vulnerable population and highlights essential elements to consider during the process such as disability, mental health, trauma, resilience, self-determination, culture, and how trauma impacts mental health.

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COVID-19: Considerations for Children and Adults with Disabilities

UNICEF, 2020

UNICEF has produced a guidance note on considerations for children and adults with disabilities in the COVID-19 response.

Excluded from the Excluded: People with Intellectual Disabilities in (and out of) Official Development Assistance

Inclusion International, 2020

This report analyzes data available through the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) Development Assistance Committee (DAC)’s Creditor Reporting System (CRS), which reveals that many mainstream development projects fail to include people with intellectual disabilities, including children. The report includes guidance for ensuring CRPD-compliant project funding, including examples of community living projects that align with the CRPD, such as supporting the transition of people with disabilities from institutions to independent living and providing training for families on supporting their children with disabilities at home.

Disability considerations during the COVID-19 outbreak

World Health Organization (WHO), 2020

This briefing from the World Health Organization (WHO) outlines actions for meeting the needs of people with disabilities during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Transition to adulthood for youth with disabilities who experienced foster care: An ecological approach

Robin Marie Harwick, Deanne Unruh, Lauren Lindstrom - Child Abuse & Neglect, 12 Dec 2019

The purpose of the study was to uncover challenges during the transition to adulthood for youth with disabilities who experienced foster care and elucidate the supports most beneficial in addressing these challenges.

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