Children with disabilities
Children with disabilities are at greater risk to be excluded, and to have poor healthcare, education and social welfare services
The challenge
Children with disabilities are at particular risk of being excluded, and of having poor healthcare, education and social welfare services. National Statistical Committee data indicate that the overall number of children registered with disabilities has grown steadily over time, from 20,660 in 2007 to 32,013 in 2019. However, this change in the number of child recipients of a disability benefit should not be interpreted as a change in the number of children with disabilities in the country.
Children and adolescents with disabilities in Kyrgyzstan do not enjoy the same rights as other children for several reasons, ranging from barriers to basic social services (non-disability inclusive) to gaps in the legislative landscape. Despite the efforts of the Government of the Kyrgyz Republic to refer to children with disabilities in their policies and legislation, there is no indication that these reforms would be disability-inclusive.
The services currently available to children and adolescents with disabilities are either not free, not accessible, or not inclusive, and are therefore not compliant with the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, ratified by the government in 2019.
In addition, parents are left alone to deal with their child’s disability. A recent study conducted by UNICEF found that fathers of children with disabilities often withdraw from the decision-making process at family and community level, while mothers have feelings of guilt, fear and shame, feel stigmatized, prefer isolation, and feel the full responsibility for the child’s wellbeing. In addition, they believe that children with disabilities do not have the same rights as children without disabilities.
On the other hand, service providers perceive these children as “defective” and in need of correction or treatment, and they often engage in “organizational paternalism”, focused on the exclusion of children with disabilities from public life and their segregation in specialized institutions (or education at home), sometimes providing dangerous overprotection.
The same study confirmed that the general population does not have practical experience of interacting with children with disabilities: for many, these children are “invisible” and are often presented as a homogeneous group.
They also feel pity for people with disabilities and their families, as well as perceiving these children and their families to be inferior members of society (in need of help) and assuming that most children with disabilities should be sent to residential institutions, which are seen as better places for them to live than home.
A specific Situation Analysis of Children and Adolescents with Disabilities in Kyrgyzstan conducted by UNICEF in 2020 (published in 2021) has identified the barriers and bottlenecks to the provision of quality and inclusive services for children and adolescents with disabilities, as well as gaps in the policy environment and evidence base.
The solution
UNICEF started its new five-year country programme in 2023, with an overarching ambition that, by 2030, every child survives, thrives, learns and lives in a safe environment and is protected from violence and poverty. The country programme is fully aligned with the 2040 National Development Strategy and the 2021–2026 National Development Programme and is an integral part of the 2023–2027 United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF).
Disability has been identified as a key driver of inequitable realization of child rights in Kyrgyzstan. Children with disabilities face multiple deprivations and discrimination. The 2023–2027 country programme identifies two levels of intervention: national level and local level.
At national level, UNICEF seeks to support the government to create an enabling environment with an effective policy framework, an intersectoral coordination mechanism and social norms change to support children and adolescents with disabilities to become equal and active members of society.
In September 2023 a working group on children with disabilities was established in the framework of the Council for Persons with Disabilities to ensure interaction between state bodies, local authorities, public associations, research, and other organizations to consider issues related to the protection and promotion of the rights of children with disabilities. UNICEF provides support to build the capacity of the newly created working group, to contribute to the development and implementation of state policy on childhood disability.
At local level, UNICEF is working with local authorities, civil society, parents and other stakeholders in Suzak District to model an integrated approach to realizing the rights of children with disabilities, by ensuring continuity of support and services across the life cycle.
Specifically, the integrated approach includes transdisciplinary approaches to early identification and intervention; developing community-based family support services to prevent institutionalization; advancing inclusive education; expanding social protection measures; equipping adolescents with disabilities with skills and pathways to employment; and supporting communities and parents to gain the knowledge, skills and confidence they need to support children’s development and inclusion.
The project is intended to ensure that all children aged 0-8 with disabilities, can benefit from an integrated model of services that promote their equal and full enjoyment of human rights, including promotion and respect for their inherent dignity and creates a support network for children and their families.
Resources
These resources represent a small selection of materials on the topic.