Inclusion of persons with disabilities starts with me, with you, with all of us
UNICEF convenes young people with disabilities and national stakeholders to call for increased support to promote social inclusion.
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According to 2022 Global Report on Assistive Technology by WHO and UNICEF, only five to 15 per cent of those who need assistive technology can access it. However, evidence shows that investing in assistive technology has a return on investment of 9:1. For children and young people, it’s even more critical to have access to it in order to be able to grow to their full potential and not be left behind.
Mariam Nersesyan, 18, from Rome who currently studies at British International School, shared her experience of using ARMAV alternative communication application for persons with speech impairment.
“This augmentative and alternative communication app has been part of my life for about five years now, and it has changed my life completely. It enables children and adults with speech impairment to communicate, helping to form phrases and sentences with different voice options both for face to face and distance communication. Before that, I relied on an English language app to communicate with my Armenian friends, now my dream has come true. Thanks to the adapted version of the app, I can have a voice in my sweet Armenian language, socialize, learn easily, be part of my school and become an activist to raise awareness on disability. It is fabulous!”
Mariam was hosted by UNICEF in collaboration with UNDP and UNFPA in an online webinar on the International Day of Persons with Disabilities that brought together young people and national stakeholders to exchange experiences and amplify the voices of young people with disabilities on social inclusion and accessibility of services, including education and employment opportunities.
During the webinar, a panel discussion was held on the Concluding Observations of the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities where participants exchanged views on the participation of persons with disabilities in decision-making processes, the accessibility of assistive technologies for persons with disabilities across the country, accessibility of information, including web content, as well as environmental accessibility, norms and standards.
“I am happy that we have a friendly society, but this friendliness is not enough to ensure accessibility for persons with visual impairment. The other day a waiter in a café told me, “Do not worry, I will be nearby!”, and yet I wish there was a sensory button in front of me that I could use and not be dependent on asking for help all the time. A person without visual impairment is able to freely move around, while I need to feel and hear to be able to move around. I wish I could have the same sensory and hearing environmental adaptations,”
The webinar also served as a platform for key decision makers, such as the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs, Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sports, and Ministry of High-Tech Infrastructure, to exchange their knowledge and strengthen coordination in specific areas.
“Disability System Reform in Armenia is among the key priorities of the Government and will entail introduction of the functional assessment of disability, as well as the personal assistant service. With these changes we expect a great shift in addressing individual needs and in ensuring independent living conditions for persons with disabilities,”
“Access to assistive technology for children with disabilities is often the first step for childhood development, education, and participation in social life. It can often make a huge difference for children with disabilities to be able to fulfill their potential in life. Therefore, the issue of access to assistive technologies is a very important element in the broader framework of the ongoing disability system reform and UNICEF stands ready to continue supporting the Government of Armenia in this process for greater social inclusion,”
