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Children with disabilities

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‘Just like the other children’

Marius Cupceanu is 9 years old. Eight of these he has spent using a cochlear implant that is helping him to hear what is happening around him. He recently graduated the second grade at „Onisifor Ghibu” Theoretical High School in Chișinău. His favourite school subject is math. Romanian language is a little bit harder for him, but in his free time…

Alexandra Tarnovschi: "Glasses and hearing aids make my life easier and help me pursue my dreams"

Alexandra Tarnovschi is 12 years old and attends the 5th grade at "Țarigrad" Gymnasium in Drochia district. Despite facing hearing impairments, Alexandra, an active and positive girl, excels in her studies, spends time with friends, and sketches dreams and plans for the future. "At school, I study, play with friends and classmates, and do homework…

"My school is inclusive. What about yours?" - schools across the country implement activities to promote inclusion

Since 15 April, all schools in Moldova have been implementing activities to promote inclusion. The campaign is titled "My school is inclusive. What about yours?" It aims to inform, raise awareness, and change attitudes among students, teachers, and parents regarding the inclusion of children with special educational needs. The activity is part of…

UNICEF and PA "Prietena Mea" present the results of a sociological analysis on the experiences of parents of children with special needs in Moldova

Parents and careers of children with disabilities experience a high degree of stigma and discrimination from society, but also from specialists in different fields. Thus, at least 80% have experienced discriminatory and stigmatizing behavior, find it difficult to tolerate social attitudes of contempt and try to limit their children's contact with…

"I urge those who have the opportunity to offer a family to children with special needs"

In 2015, Rodica and Mihai Musteață became professional parental assistants for the siblings Vera, Mişa, and Alexandra. Six years later they decided to adopt them. In 2016, the family took Dumitrița into care, and five later - the siblings Codrina and Danu. image UNICEF/Moldova/2024 image UNICEF/Moldova/2024 Display caption Hide Caption Display…

29 February 2024

UNICEF works to build a world where children with disabilities reach their full potential

During the 1980 Olympic games in Moscow, a Western journalist inquired whether the Soviet Union would participate in the first Paralympic games, scheduled to take place in Great Britain later that year. The reply from a Soviet representative was firm: “There are no invalids (people with disabilities) in the USSR!”. This denial of the very…

15 January 2024

”All children must enjoy their childhood”

Beatrice Arion is 15 years old, and she’s been taking dance classes for 4 years now. “I don’t dance only during class, but at home too. I turn on the music and dance for hours in front of the mirror”, she says. image Beatrice lives in Chișinău and has a mild form of Down syndrome – mosaicism. “She’s like other children, but with a slight…

27 December 2023

One of our goals is to make sure people with Down syndrome won’t be left alone

Aurica Antonov gave birth to little Daria in 1986, at 21 years old, when Down syndrome wasn’t as widely known or discussed as it is today. “When I gave birth to my baby, the nurses didn’t bring me her. I went to the medical department where the babies were and asked them to show her to me. Then, I realised what’s the matter with my daughter. There…

20 December 2023

“We never put the disability first”

Why me? Where did I go wrong? How can I change things? What will people say? What should I do? These are the questions parents ask themselves when they find out they have a child with special needs. But how can they overcome the feelings of shame and guilt so that they can become supportive to their children? We talked to several parents who have…

05 December 2023

”Children with Down syndrome are special and good”

Ernest Guțu is 15 years old. He has Down syndrome with some autism elements. He started practicing taekwondo three years ago, along with other children with special needs. Ernest UNICEF Moldova Ernest UNICEF Moldova Display caption Show Original Caption Display caption Show Original Caption ”Ernest’s story is one of victory against prejudice, of…

03 December 2023

"Support and motivation mean everything to me."

Being different often means a continuous struggle to be seen, heard, and accepted, which are fundamental rights of every person. This is a daily burden for many children with special needs or those who simply differ from their peers but have the same desire to make friends, explore the world, and contribute to its development as doctors, teachers…

11 January 2023

Telemedicine Bridges the Gap Between the Regions and the Capital

‘It was a harsh blow for us to find out that we have a child with elements of autism. Some people think this is a contagious disease and prohibit their children from playing with our child, and it isn't very respectful of us, the parents. Moreover, there is a perception in our society that only in socially vulnerable families can a child with…