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August 2015 | Read this issue and more at www.healthandwellnessmagazine.net |
Engaging
Children
with
Disabilities
Like us
@healthykentucky
More countries
are giving them
a voice
By Dr. Tom Miller, Staff Writer
Children with disabilities and their
families face a lifetime of challenges.
The definition of disability, according to UNICEF’s Convention on the
Rights of Persons with Disabilities
(CRPD), suggests persons with disabilities include those with long-term
physical, mental, intellectual or sensory
impairments that, in interaction with
various barriers, may hinder their full
and effective participation in society
on an equal basis with others. The
term “child” refers to everyone under
the age of 18.
The Convention developed a set of
Countries around
guidelines that are intended to be used
by a wide audience, including governments, civil society organizations,
disabled people’s organizations and
UNICEF regional and country offices
to further enhance the participation
of children with disabilities in policies
and interventions. The Convention on
the Rights of the Child (CRC) recognizes children are not merely passive
recipients, entitled to adult protective
care. Rather, they have rights and are
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entitled to be
ity. A central tenet is
involved in decithat legislation, polithe world
sions that affect
cies and programs
them in accormust be informed
are creating
dance with their
and shaped by the
evolving capacichildren they will
opportunities
ties.
affect. Participation
for children with
The voices of
is a foundational
children with disprinciple of a rightsdisabilities.
abilities have been
based approach. It is
largely silent in
important to:
critical decisions
• clearly identify
affecting their lives, such as decisions
obstacles impeding the participaabout their health, education or where
tion of children with disabilities;
they live. For centuries children with
• examine why participation is
disabilities have faced prejudice and
important for children with disnegative attitudes. Some adults have
abilities;
low expectations for children with
• provide practical guidance on how
disabilities, doubting their capacand where to reach out and engage
ity to develop or express a point of
children with disabilities more
view. Consequently, there has been
effectively and systematically; and
widespread failure to invest in their
• prioritize ways to measure the
engagement, in addition to a lack of
effectiveness of participatory initiaknowledge, understanding and traintives with children with disabilities.
ing to support their participation. The
The Miracle League, which first
clear result, with few exceptions, is
began in Lexington, is a model for
the invisibility and social exclusion of
inclusion of children with disabilities.
children with disabilities throughout
This community experience is specifithe world. The CRPD recognizes
cally designed for children with disthis failure and introduces explicit
abilities and includes both physical and
demands that governments do more
mental special needs. There are more
to provide the necessary disability and than 180 Miracle Leagues across the
age-appropriate assistance.
country. The Miracle League believes
Countries around the world are
“Every Child Deserves a Chance to
creating opportunities for children
Play Baseball.” Each player bats once
with disabilities through such dynamic XX