State of the World's Children 2013 - Unicef

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PERSPECTIVE For deaf young people, language is the key By Krishneer Sen Krishneer Sen, a deaf youth activist from Suva, Fiji, and recipient of the World Deaf Leadership scholarship, is studying information technology at Gallaudet University, United States. In 2012, he served as an intern with UNICEF Fiji. Access to information and means of communication are essential for anyone to realize their rights as a citizen. Without ways to gather knowledge, express opinions and voice demands, it is impossible to obtain an education, find a job or participate in civic affairs. In my country, Fiji, lack of access to information and means of communication are the biggest issue facing deaf children. Information and communication technology (ICT), which I am studying at university, is helping deaf people around the world, creating opportunities that simply would not have been possible a generation ago. Where available, ICT provides deaf people with the chance to communicate and connect with friends, reduces their isolation and opens up avenues for their participation in political, economic, social and cultural life. Those who lack access – because they live in rural areas, are poor or lack education, or for whom appropriately adapted devices are not yet available – experience frustration and exclusion. Deaf Fijians like me have limited access to the media, emergency services – and even simple telephone conversations. In the absence of such assistive technology as captioned telephones, we must rely on people who can hear to serve as interpreters, or resort to text messaging. This will not change until ICT and media policy for people with disabilities become a top government priority. Deaf people can succeed and contribute to society just like hearing people. Developing their abilities begins with education and language. Because deaf children grow up in a hearing world, quality education necessarily means bilingual education. In Fiji, deaf children should be taught Fiji Sign Language in addition to the languages commonly taught to hearing Fijian children (English, Fijian and Hindi), and this should start at birth. Bilingual education helps deaf children develop their ability to communicate using the languages of hearing people: Deaf children who can communicate effectively in sign language will find it easier to learn other languages, like English. I believe that bilingualism will give deaf children better access to the 20 THE STATE OF THE WORLD’S CHILDREN 2013: Children with Disabilities
We need to make media more accessible to deaf children by captioning or interpreting television programmes and developing children’s programmes that use sign language. education they need to function as equal citizens. As a kid, I used to watch cartoon programmes on Fijian TV with no subtitles or sign language interpreters. My family didn’t know sign language well. Later on, I realized that the reason I was still struggling with my English was that I had not been exclusively taught using signs at home. Parents have an important role in facilitating deaf children’s ability to communicate and access information; along with other people who interact with deaf children, they need to take the initiative and use sign language to communicate in their daily lives, at home and school. We need to make media more accessible to deaf children by captioning or interpreting television programmes and developing children’s programmes that use sign language. We need an environment free of communication barriers. I would like to see Fijian Sign Language used in a range of programmes, from news to cartoons. In addition to television, social media can provide powerful tools to enhance knowledge about Fiji and international affairs and ensure that everyone, including people with disabilities, has access to information about the political situation and can cast an informed vote during elections. Making ICT available to deaf children can facilitate their social and emotional development, help them learn in mainstream schools and prepare them for future employment. I took a basic computer class at a special school, and it changed my life for the better: It was through the Internet that I learned about Gallaudet University, where I now study. In addition to enhancing education, ICT provides deaf and other young people with disabilities to learn about their rights and band together to campaign for their realization. By facilitating activism, ICT may thus help increase the profile of persons with disabilities within society at large and allow them to participate actively. My dream is to see deaf people communicate freely with hearing people through the use of assistive technologies. Once I graduate, I plan to start a project to set up communication technologies in Fiji in order to facilitate communication between hearing and deaf people, using sign language interpreters as well as video calling. I will be working with the Fiji Association for the Deaf, of which I have been a member for many years, to advocate for human rights, opportunities and equality. If the government is to consider the needs of deaf people a priority, deaf people must advocate on our own behalf. To facilitate activism among deaf people, we must educate deaf children to use both sign language and the languages of the hearing communities they live in, and we must work to expand access to technologies through which they can find information and communicate with others, deaf and hearing. FUNDAMENTALS OF INCLUSION 21
Page 1 and 2: THE STATE OF THE WORLD’S CHILDREN
Page 3 and 4: THE STATE OF THE WORLD’S CHILDREN
Page 5 and 6: FOREWORD Is there a child who does
Page 7 and 8: FOCUS Violence against children wit
Page 9 and 10: CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION Reports such
Page 11 and 12: Under the Convention on the Rights
Page 13 and 14: People with disabilities are becomi
Page 15 and 16: Education is the key to stopping th
Page 17 and 18: (continued from p. 3) the right to
Page 19 and 20: CHAPTER 2 FUNDAMENTALS OF INCLUSION
Page 21 and 22: hierarchy and traditional expectati
Page 23 and 24: to education and health-care servic
Page 25 and 26: An inclusive kindergarten in Nizhny
Page 27: Assistive technology products Categ
Page 31 and 32: CHAPTER 3 A STRONG FOUNDATION Good
Page 33 and 34: Early childhood stunting, which is
Page 35 and 36: are particularly important. Develop
Page 37 and 38: the needs of all children. In an in
Page 39 and 40: Look at Hanif and you will see that
Page 41 and 42: terms for 20 schools at a time, wit
Page 43 and 44: epilepsy. The ketogenic diet is an
Page 45 and 46: Reading Braille at a school in Ugan
Page 47 and 48: Saja opened my eyes to my own abili
Page 49 and 50: CHAPTER 4 ESSENTIALS OF PROTECTION
Page 51 and 52: Independent States, institutionaliz
Page 53 and 54: Children with disabilities are at g
Page 55 and 56: It is much harder to protect childr
Page 57 and 58: CHAPTER 5 HUMANITARIAN RESPONSE Hum
Page 59 and 60: Explosive remnants of war (ERW) on
Page 61 and 62: esist, than children without disabi
Page 63 and 64: Since monitoring began in 1999, the
Page 65 and 66: FOCUS (continued) Child casualties
Page 67 and 68: Child casualties by type of explosi
Page 69 and 70: If people with disabilities can’t
Page 71 and 72: CHAPTER 6 MEASURING CHILD DISABILIT
Page 73 and 74: Mental Development Scale, 120 canno
Page 75 and 76: single set of questions for both gr
Page 77 and 78: FOCUS Lessons learned Since 1995, U
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A strategy for intervention on beha
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Data can be hard to gather: Indigen
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CHAPTER 7 AN AGENDA FOR ACTION The
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discrimination is vital in reducing
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I would like to be confident that w
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Support families The CRC states tha
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Being visually challenged, I’ve h
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Six-year-old Nemanja (far left) sit
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We [in government] must understand
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33 South African Disability Institu
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106 Mental Disability Rights Intern
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Statistical Tables Economic and soc
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under-five mortality rate (per 1,00
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TABLE 10. THE RATE OF pROGRESS The
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under-five mortality rankings The f
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TABLE 1 BASIC INdICATORS Countries
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TABLE 1 BASIC INdICATORS Countries
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TABLE 2 NuTRITION Countries and are
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TABLE 2 NuTRITION Countries and are
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TABLE 3 HEALTH Countries Use of imp
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Countries Use of improved drinking
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TABLE 4 HIV/AIdS Prevention among y
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TABLE 4 HIV/AIdS Prevention among y
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TABLE 5 education Countries and are
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TABLE 5 EduCATION Countries and are
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TABLE 6 dEmOGRApHIC INdICATORS Coun
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TABLE 6 dEmOGRApHIC INdICATORS Coun
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TABLE 7 ECONOmIC INdICATORS Countri
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TABLE 7 ECONOmIC INdICATORS Countri
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TABLE 8 WOmEN Countries and areas L
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TABLE 8 WOmEN Countries and areas L
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TABLE 9 CHILd pROTECTION Countries
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TABLE 9 CHILd pROTECTION Countries
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TABLE 10 THE RATE OF pROGRESS Count
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TABLE 10 THE RATE OF pROGRESS Count
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TABLE 11 AdOLESCENTS Countries and
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TABLE 11 AdOLESCENTS Countries and
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TABLE 12 disparities by residence C
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TABLE 12 dISpARITIES By RESIdENCE C
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TABLE 13 dISpARITIES By HOuSEHOLd W
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TABLE 13 dISpARITIES By HOuSEHOLd W
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TABLE 14 EARLy CHILdHOOd dEVELOpmEN
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UNICEF Headquarters UNICEF House 3
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