Summary: At its 16th session (22 September -
10 October 1997) the Committee on
the Rights of the Child devoted a Day
of General Discussion (6 October
1997) to the theme "The Rights of
Children with Disabilities". This is the
submission made by the
International Federation of Social
Workers to the committee.
Rights of the child with disabilities Contributing Remarks
International Federation of Social Workers
International Federation of Social Workers at Committee on the
Rights of the Child Thematic Day
All health and social professions have great responsibility to
ensure the survival and development of all children. Disabled
children are no exception, and measures need to be taken a) to
ensure that disabilities are tackled from birth or as soon as they
become evident to limit them when- and wherever possible and
to provide appropriate remedial action; b) to make available to
parents of the disabled child information, instruction and support
for the disabled child's upbringing aimed at providing maximum
chances and scope for a full life in society, and for personal
fulfilment and development according to hisiher ability.
Social workers have an important role in this process. Many are
specialised in the subject, and they deal with logistics necessary
for the life and development of the child as well as with the
psychological impact of disability on the child. The techniques for
the latter are very similar to general social work principles and
techniques aimed at the enablement, empowerment and self-
determination of their individual or collective clients.
To human rights workers the rights of the disabled child as those
of all other children are evident. This, however, is not yet (and
will it ever be?) accepted by all children nor by the general public.
It will therefore be necessary right from the start to provide
opportunities for the disabled child to mingle with normal children
and their families. Disabled children should be helped to develop
their personality, to learn to recognize and accept their
impairment or disability and to consider it normal that disabled
and non-disabled live side-by-side. The attitude of the disabled
child and adult will do much to help the integrative process and to
change attitudes of mainstream society towards them.
It is also important to recognize the difference between rights (of
the disabled child) and the ability to stand up for them on the one
hand, and acceptance of disabled children by their peers and
society at large on the other. Rights need to be respected but
are not necessarily or automatically translated into normal and
friendly relations with the outside world. A careful balance
between insistence on rights and the child's ability to attract and
integrate with others should be sought. Obviously, there need to
be laws, institutions and facilities to guarantee the rights of the
disabled child. However, in order to enable disabled children to
develop and reach their full potential, they need to be fulfilled,
and an important element of this fulfilment is a degree of
sociability.
Inclusive Education
Disabled children require education perhaps even more than
(
Inclusion in normal educational establishments from nurseries
and kindergarten to regular schools is an aim towards which no
efforts must be spared. Teachers and pupils need to be made
aware of the rights of the disabled child through the introduction
of the Convention in all learning establishments through suitable
didactic material. Thus, children will learn that every child has the
same rights but that some require extra protection, and that no
child should ever be denied his/her rights on grounds of gender,
ethnicity, religion, nationality (or the lack of it), health, able-
bodiedness or other grounds.
It must be recognized, however, that inclusive education may be
problematic for children with mental impairments. In cases of
extreme mental impairments it may not even be advisable
beyond a certain level. Moreover, it usually requires a one-to-one
trainer/pupil ratio and is therefore costly. It has, however, been
successfully tried in many countries and should be pursued and
developed.
A prerequesite for successful inclusive education of disabled
children is full cooperation with parents who themselves should
undergo training to be able to assist with their children's
scholastic education in close collaboration with the teacher. While
this is happening in many countries, there may not always be
enough support for parents, and mostly mothers of disabled
children who should be given every support: subsidies,
incentives, training facilities and respite opportunities among
others.
Disabled Children's self-representation and participation
The fullest implementation of Article 12 of the Convention on the
Rights of the Child applies to all - and therefore also to disabled -
children.
The capacity to articulate their concerns, needs and demands
should be part of disabled children's education. This will also help
their self-image though due care should be taken not to turn
them into perpetual claimants. Here again, a fine distinction
between self-assertiveness and addiction to pushing and
protesting should always be made.
The area of child participation is probably the least explored at
the present time. It will take time and a change of attitudes of
parents and society to allow children a free voice in decisions
regarding their welfare and future. There is no known organ
isation of disabled children unlike other groups such as working
and street children, and it might be worthwhile to examine the
reasons for this.
In the world's pursuit of a «Society for All», self-representation
and direct participation remain the ultimate aim. In the meantime,
however, ombudspersons or political representation may still
need to be utilised to make the voices of disabled children heard.
Closing remarks
For the last 30 to 40 years, social workers have attempted to
work with rather than merely for their clients and have turned
themselves into forceful champions and implementers of human
rights. The profession and its international federation will
continue to work towards the realisation at all levels of the rights
of all people, and very especially of disadvantaged people of all
ages. Therefore, the issues addressed at the Thematic Day on
(The Rights of Children with Disabilities» are of great concern to
social workers and IFSW.
Ellen Mouravieff-Apostol Geneva, October 1997
Owner: Ellen Mouravieff-Apostol