PANAPRESS
Panafrican News Agency
UNICEF commends Sudan for taking good care of children with disabilities
Khartoum, Sudan (PANA) – UNICEF has commended Sudan for promulgating a law in 2009 which gives children with disabilities special rights, according to a press statement from the UN agency, issued in New York to mark the International Day of Persons with Disabilities.
UNICEF also placed on record, Sudan's ratification of a series of international treaties which called for affirmative steps towards protecting the rights of children with disabilities.
The press statement also quoted experts as saying, however, that ''much needs to be done to put the law into practice and ensure the provision of services for the disabled''.
“Children with disabilities have the same rights as all normal children and they deserve the same chance to make the most of their lives and to make their voices heard,” said Anthony Lake, the UNICEF Executive Director.
“We need to break down the barriers that prevent full participation of children with disabilities – from programmes that ignore their needs, to prejudice that discounts their ability to contribute,” he continued, saying that in most countries, children with disabilities are among the most marginalized and excluded groups.
Lake said: "Compared to their peers, they are routinely denied access to health, education and social services. They are often excluded from opportunities to participate in their communities and are more vulnerable to violence and abuse.
"Girls with disabilities also face additional discrimination because of their sex. In addition to marginalization within the family, communities, schools and wider social circles, girls with disabilities are often at greater risk of violence, injury, abuse, neglect or negligent treatment, maltreatment and exploitation."
The statement said children with disabilities were less likely to receive necessary healthcare; they are also often the last to receive information that would help them to stay safe, including how to avoid HIV/AIDS, and how to tell adults when they feel endangered.
Such information is rarely available in formats accessible to blind or deaf children or those with intellectual disabilities.
The press statement said discrimination against children with disabilities stemmed from multiple sources, including ignorance, prejudice and cultural norms, which in turn lead to stigma and entrenched social exclusion.
Their participation is further limited by multiple barriers, including the lack of access to the physical environment and to information and communication; lack of adequate legislation, lack of public policies and monitoring mechanisms; and lack of training for teachers and other service providers.
''One of the barriers is the paucity of reliable data. When children with disabilities are not included in data collection efforts, they are equally neglected in policy discussions and budget allocations,'' the release said.
UNICEF said "The same is true globally, especially in places where poverty and inequality are more prominent. As the global community works together to achieve the Millennium Development Goals with greater equity, it must do more to create effective legislation to protect the rights of children with disabilities, to establish programmes and services to support children with disabilities and their families at the community and national levels, and to dispel stereotypes, fight stigma and change attitudes towards disability.
“UNICEF is committed to working with our partners to overcome the barriers that stand between children with disabilities and the full realization of their rights and dreams,” said Lake.
It called on the international community to focus greater attention and investment in helping children and young people with disabilities to realize their rights, while renewing the call for universal ratification of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
-0- PANA MO/VAO 1Dec2011
UNICEF also placed on record, Sudan's ratification of a series of international treaties which called for affirmative steps towards protecting the rights of children with disabilities.
The press statement also quoted experts as saying, however, that ''much needs to be done to put the law into practice and ensure the provision of services for the disabled''.
“Children with disabilities have the same rights as all normal children and they deserve the same chance to make the most of their lives and to make their voices heard,” said Anthony Lake, the UNICEF Executive Director.
“We need to break down the barriers that prevent full participation of children with disabilities – from programmes that ignore their needs, to prejudice that discounts their ability to contribute,” he continued, saying that in most countries, children with disabilities are among the most marginalized and excluded groups.
Lake said: "Compared to their peers, they are routinely denied access to health, education and social services. They are often excluded from opportunities to participate in their communities and are more vulnerable to violence and abuse.
"Girls with disabilities also face additional discrimination because of their sex. In addition to marginalization within the family, communities, schools and wider social circles, girls with disabilities are often at greater risk of violence, injury, abuse, neglect or negligent treatment, maltreatment and exploitation."
The statement said children with disabilities were less likely to receive necessary healthcare; they are also often the last to receive information that would help them to stay safe, including how to avoid HIV/AIDS, and how to tell adults when they feel endangered.
Such information is rarely available in formats accessible to blind or deaf children or those with intellectual disabilities.
The press statement said discrimination against children with disabilities stemmed from multiple sources, including ignorance, prejudice and cultural norms, which in turn lead to stigma and entrenched social exclusion.
Their participation is further limited by multiple barriers, including the lack of access to the physical environment and to information and communication; lack of adequate legislation, lack of public policies and monitoring mechanisms; and lack of training for teachers and other service providers.
''One of the barriers is the paucity of reliable data. When children with disabilities are not included in data collection efforts, they are equally neglected in policy discussions and budget allocations,'' the release said.
UNICEF said "The same is true globally, especially in places where poverty and inequality are more prominent. As the global community works together to achieve the Millennium Development Goals with greater equity, it must do more to create effective legislation to protect the rights of children with disabilities, to establish programmes and services to support children with disabilities and their families at the community and national levels, and to dispel stereotypes, fight stigma and change attitudes towards disability.
“UNICEF is committed to working with our partners to overcome the barriers that stand between children with disabilities and the full realization of their rights and dreams,” said Lake.
It called on the international community to focus greater attention and investment in helping children and young people with disabilities to realize their rights, while renewing the call for universal ratification of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
-0- PANA MO/VAO 1Dec2011
