Children with Disabilities

Six-year-old Nemanja (far left) sits with classmates in Novi Sad, Serbia. His primary school was the first to integrate
children with disabilities under a law aimed at reducing institutionalization. © UNICEF/HQ2011-1156/Holt
design, implementation and evaluation of policies
and services.
Global promise, local test
In order to fulfil the promises of the CRPD and
CRC, international agencies and donors and their
national and local partners can include children
with disabilities in the objectives, targets and
monitoring indicators of all development programmes.
Reliable and objective data are important
to assist in planning and resource allocation,
and to place children with disabilities more clearly
on the development agenda. The necessary statistical
work will take time but would be given vital
impetus were international donors to promote a
concerted global research agenda on disability. In
the meanwhile, planning and programming will
have to continue; denying or delaying services to
children with disabilities because more data are
needed would be unacceptable. Rather, plans,
programmes and budgets can be designed to
allow for modifications as additional information
is made available.
The ultimate proof of all global and national
efforts will be local, the test being whether every
child with 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.
AN AGENDA FOR ACTION
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