Children with Disabilities

hierarchy and traditional expectations of gender,
so the routine absence, misrepresentation or
stereotyping of people with disabilities creates
and reinforces social prejudices and leads to the
underestimation of the roles and place of people
with disabilities in society.
Similarly, participation in social activities helps
to promote a positive view of disability. Sport, in
particular, has helped overcome many societal
prejudices. Physical activity can be a powerful
means of promoting respect – it is inspirational
to see a child surmount the physical and psychological
barriers to participation, including lack
of encouragement and support or limited adaptive
equipment. In one study, physically active
children with disabilities were rated as more
competent than their non-disabled counterparts. 11
However, care must be taken not to create an
artificial atmosphere in which children with disabilities
who demonstrate physical heroism are
deemed worthy and those who do not are made
to feel inferior.
Sport has also been helpful in campaigns to
reduce stigma. Athletes with disabilities are
often among the most recognized representatives
of people with disabilities, and many use
such platforms as the Paralympics and Special
Olympics to campaign and to become role
models for children with physical or intellectual
impairments. Moreover, experiences in Bosnia
and Herzegovina, the Lao People’s Democratic
Republic, Malaysia and the Russian Federation
show that access to sport and recreation is not
only of direct benefit to children with disabilities
but also helps to raise their standing in the community
as they are seen to participate alongside
other children in activities valued by society. 12
Encouraging children with disabilities to take
part in sport and recreation in company with all
their peers is more than a matter of changing
attitudes. It is a right and a specific requirement
of the CRPD, which instructs States parties to
“ensure that children with disabilities have equal
access with other children to participation in play,
It’s about ability
Montenegro’s ‘It’s About Ability’ campaign was
launched in September 2010 and has had an impact on
the public’s knowledge of and attitudes and practices
towards children with disabilities. The campaign brings
together a broad coalition of 100 national and international
organizations ranging from the Government
of Montenegro to the European Union, the Council of
Europe, the Organization for Security and Co-operation
in Europe, United Nations agencies, embassies, associations
of parents of children with disabilities, print
and electronic media, the private sector, local officials
and children with and without disabilities. One of the
campaign’s strategies involved the use of billboards all
over the country to show children with disabilities as
active members of society, portraying them as athletes,
friends, musicians, dancers, students, daughters, sons,
brothers and sisters.
A November 2011 survey measuring the impact of the
campaign reported that it contributed to an 18 per
cent increase in the number of people who consider
children with disabilities as equal members of society.
Behaviour toward children with disabilities and
communication between them and people without
disabilities were also seen to improve.
recreation and leisure and sporting activities,
including those activities in the school system.”
Supporting children and
their families
The CRPD underlines the role of the family as the
natural unit of society and the role of the State
in supporting the family. It says that “persons
with disabilities and their family members should
receive the necessary protection and assistance
to enable families to contribute towards the full
and equal enjoyment of the rights of persons
with disabilities.” 13
The process of fulfilling the rights of a child with
a disability – of including that child in community
FUNDAMENTALS OF INCLUSION
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