Fifteen per cent of the world’s population – at least one billion people – have some form of disability, whether present at birth or acquired later in life. Nearly 240 million of them are children.
The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities defines living with a disability as having a long-term physical, mental, intellectual or sensory impairment that – in interaction with the environment – hinders one’s participation in society on an equal basis with others.
Children and adolescents with disabilities are a highly diverse group with wide-ranging life experiences. They live in every community, and are born with or acquire distinct impairments that, in relation to their surroundings, lead to functional difficulties – like seeing, walking, communicating, caring for oneself or making friends.
But the extent to which children with disabilities are able to function, participate in society and lead fulfilling lives depends on the extent to which they are accommodated and included. No matter their story, every child has every right to thrive.
Discrimination against children with disabilities
Yet, children with disabilities are among the most marginalized people in every society.
A range of barriers limits their ability to function in daily life, access social services (like education and health care) and engage in their communities. These include:
Physical barriers – for example, buildings, transportation, toilets and playgrounds that cannot be accessed by wheelchair users
Communication and information barriers – such as textbooks unavailable in Braille, or public health announcements delivered without sign language interpretation
Attitudinal barriers – like stereotyping, low expectations, pity, condescension, harassment and bullying
Each of these is rooted in stigma and discrimination that reflect negative perceptions of disability associated with ableism: a system of beliefs, norms and practices that devalues people with disabilities.
Some children with disabilities face other forms of discrimination that compound their deprivation. Worldwide, this is especially the case for girls; children who are poor, Black, Indigenous, and those who belong to ethnic minorities, migrant communities or other marginalized groups. Children with severe or multiple disabilities also tend to have a particularly hard time getting their needs met.
For every child, every right
The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) was adopted in 2006 in response to the severe human rights violations experienced by people with disabilities worldwide. The CRPD obligates Governments to take concrete measures to promote their full and equal enjoyment of all human rights and fundamental freedoms.
Despite international commitments, children with disabilities remain largely invisible in research and programmes meant to build more equitable, inclusive societies. This invisibility is both a cause and a consequence of their exclusion.
Children with disabilities often work hard to accommodate themselves to an inaccessible world that excludes them. But they are not problems that need to be fixed or changed. Disability is part of the diversity of human experience: Functional limitations manifest in the life cycle of every one of us. The extent to which children with disabilities are able to lead happy lives depends on our own willingness to confront barriers to change.