Disability and Child Protection | UNICEF

 

Stigma, ignorance, neglect, superstition and communication barriers for children with disabilities are among the social factors that explain their discrimination and isolation from society. Subscribe to UNICEF here: http://bit.ly/1ltTE3m Disability is a social issue — it results from the interaction between people with “long-term physical, mental, intellectual or sensory impairments which, in interaction with various barriers, may hinder their full and effective participation in society on an equal basis with others” (Article 1, Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disability). It is not the impairment itself, but rather attitudes and environmental barriers that result in disability. Children with disabilities are often ‘invisible’ to service providers and they are at greater risk of violence than their non-disabled peers. Children with disabilities are often disproportionately placed in alternative care, rather than remaining with their families. These raise concerns for their protection.