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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Infanticide and Abuse: Killing and confinement of children with disabilities in Kenya

Disability Rights International, 27 Sep 2018

This report is the product of a two-year investigation by Disability Rights International (DRI) into institutions and orphanages across Kenya. The report describes the "egregious human rights violations" perpetrated against children with disabilities in Kenya, particularly those who are confined to institutions and "orphanages."

Country Care Review: Poland

Better Care Network, 21 Sep 2018

This country care review includes the care related Concluding Observations adopted by the Committee on the Rights of the Child and the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

Country Care Review: Algeria

Better Care Network , 21 Sep 2018

This country care review includes the care-related Concluding Observations adopted by the Committee on the Rights of the Child and the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

Deinstitutionalization and Transformation of Institutions for Children with Behaviour Problems in Croatia within the Context of Education and Research - In the Middle of (No)Where?

Jeđud Borić, Ivana ; Ćosić Andrea, 20 Sep 2018

The purpose of this paper is to critically reflect on the conditions and context of deinstitutionalization and the process of transformation of the institutions for children with behavioural problems from several key aspects: current offer of treatment programs and interventions in institutions and communities, competences of professionals in transformation process, research related to needs and risks of children and education of future professionals.

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Mental health outcomes among youth in foster care with disabilities

Junghee Lee, Laurie Powers, Sarah Geenen, Jessica Schmidt, Jennifer Blakeslee, Insik Hwangc - Children and Youth Services Review, 18 Sep 2018

This study tests the associations of risk and protective factors on mental health outcome variables of youth in foster care with disabilities.

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A support programme for caregivers of children with disabilities in Ghana: Understanding the impact on the wellbeing of caregivers

Maria Zuurmond, Gifty Nyante, Marjolein Baltussen, Janet Seeley, Jedidia Abanga, Tom Shakespeare, Martine Collumbien, Sarah Bernays - Child: care, health and development, 12 Aug 2018

This study explores the impact of a participatory training programme for caregivers delivered through a local support group, with a focus on understanding caregiver wellbeing.

Endline Evaluation Report of Deinstitutionalization of Orphans and Vulnerable Children Project in Uganda

Maestral International in collaboration with Oxford Policy Management and Makerere University, 06 Aug 2018

The objective of this evaluation is to assess the performance of the “Deinstitutionalization of Orphans and Vulnerable Children Project in Uganda” (DOVCU) with regards to the creation of sustainable changes in the lives of two beneficiary groups, namely 43,000 vulnerable children living in targeted households and 2,000 children at risk as a result of an integrated package of support.

Supporting Children with Disabilities in Low- and Middle Income Countries: Promoting Inclusive Practice within Community-Based Childcare Centres in Malawi through a Bioecological Systems Perspective

Mike McLinden, Paul Lynch, Anita Soni, Alfredo Artiles, Foster Kholowa, Elizabeth Kamchedzera, Jenipher Mbukwa, Mika Mankhwazi - International Journal of Early Childhood, 04 Jul 2018

This study draws on a bioecological systems perspective to propose the parameters for a broader unit of analysis of inclusion for young children with disabilities in research within low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) contexts.

Country Care Review: Russian Federation

Better Care Network, 03 Jul 2018

This country care review includes the care related Concluding Observations adopted by the Committee on the Rights of the Child and the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

Country Care Review: Montenegro

Better Care Network, 22 Jun 2018

This country care review includes the care-related Concluding Observations adopted by the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.