Every day children with disability are denied their basic human rights.  If there is to be a long term impact on people’s lives the full inclusion of people with disability in all aspects of life needs to be promoted.
 

• Children with disabilities are more likely to die young, neglected or poor.
• Children with disabilities are more likely to be malnourished.
• In some countries 80% of children with disabilities under the age of five may die.
• Less than 2% of children with serious disabilities are 2-3 more times more likely to be victims of physical or sexual abuse.
• Mortality of children with disabilities can be as high as 80% even in countries where overall mortality of under-fives is below 20%[1].

 
The Convention on the Rights of the Child (United Nations 1989), being the first binding instrument in international law to deal with the rights of children, is an important source of rights for children with disabilities.

CBM recognises and advocates that children with disability have the same rights and opportunities as every other child. Due to the high level impact of early intervention, CBM prioritises activities that benefit children with disabilities.
 

[1] DFID 2000

Fred was born with cleft palate. It made it difficult for him to feed and grow. It made him vulnerable to sickness. It made it impossible for him to speak properly, and his childhood was ruined by the fear, rejection and scorn of others, because of his disfigured face.

It broke his mother’s heart every time Fred came running home in tears, covering his face. Children with cleft palate are called horrible things, like 'monster'. He was too frightened to go to school.

For CBM and its local partner, supporting Fred meant an operation (which his desperately poor family could never afford) plus speech therapy so he can talk properly, along with help to catch up at school. Because his family is so poor, helping Fred also includes help and advice on ways to improve their income. Today, Fred’s life is still not easy, but he can smile, play with his friends without being rejected. In short, his dignity has been restored.

As in other areas CBM adheres to a twin-track approach of

• creating awareness and lobbying for the inclusion of children with disabilities into the general children’s agenda and 
• supporting projects and activities specifically designed for children with disabilities to ensure their development and growth as individuals enjoying their full human rights, achieving their full potential and participating in community and society life to the fullest extent possible.  

CBM’s priority areas are:

 
In addition to supporting projects that directly address children’s needs, CBM is active in lobbying and advocacy.
 
For example, CBM supports schools, trains teachers, and develops learning materials for children with disabilities.  To achieve a sustainable impact we also advocate that governments put in place the policies, plans and resources to provide education for every child.
 

• 77 million children do not get the chance to go to school – one third of them have a disability.

• In Africa, fewer than 10% of children with a disability attend school[1]

 
CBM encourages its 700 partners worldwide to address the needs of people with disability in their community; and also advocate for justice and equality, persuading others of their responsibilities towards people with disability.

[1] Balescut and Eklindh, 2006

Doose was born with Cerebral Palsy (CP) and CBM’s Partner The Church of Christ in Sudan has been working with Doose and her family for most of her life.  Because of the continued visits and support, Doose was able to start walking last year. CBM has worked extensively with the family not only in the physical rehabilitation but also through the provision of training and counselling to Doose’s mother.
 
Attitudes of society are still a problem and CBM and its partners are working hard to challenge people’s traditional perceptions of CP and other disabilities.  Doose’s mother said that she had been repeatedly told by her community that her child is a snake and should be put in the river, but she has challenged these attitudes and provided her daughter with the love and care that any child deserves.

With the help of British supporters CBM is able not only to provide families such as Doose with rehabilitative assistance, but also to work with local communities to challenge traditional attitudes to disability.

"These children were robbed of their childhood." Teacher, CBM-supported school for the blind, Afghanistan.
 
Haju from Afghanistan was just nine years old when he was blinded by an exploding landmine.  With shrapnel embedded in his right eye and a traumatic cataract in his left, his future from the physical wounds alone looked bleak.  What Haju needed more than anything was sight-restoring surgery and tender, loving care.  In conflict situations it is the children, especially those who have a disability, who are the most vulnerable.  Thankfully, CBM and its local partner were able to help Haju. One of the teachers from the school for the blind in Kabul said, “We have hope for a bright future.We now have good conditions”.
 
It is a sad and brutal reality that so many children in our world are wounded by war with deep physical and emotional scars.
 
Donatia knows all about hurt and healing.  When she was just 14 years old she fled her home in Masisi, Democratic Republic of Congo, because of the war. But Donatia longed to return home and one day set out with a group of people.  She became tired, however, and started lagging behind. Then some extremist militia found her and raped her. Donatia tried to run away but the militia shot her, fracturing her leg, and later abandoned her.
 
At just 14 years of age Donatia had experienced more pain and suffering than many of us could imagine.  But she has also known loving care through the villagers who found her, the staff at the CBM-supported hospital where she was treated.
 
Around Goma, Democratic Republic of Congo, CBM’s partner organisation has four centres in the camps for internally displaced people. These centres are pivotal points from which CBM offers healthcare and monitor the needs of the people.  Those who are found with a disability are transported to hospitals in Goma where they are treated for conditions such as orthopaedic trauma or clubfoot.

The Convention of the Rights of the Child treaty is the most complete statement of children's rights ever and is the first to give these rights the force of international law. It is a written recognition of the fact that children, particularly the most vulnerable, have human rights too. Article 23 of the CRC spells out the particular rights that children with disabilities have in respect of the convention.

• 1. States Parties recognize that a mentally or physically disabled child should enjoy a full and decent life, in conditions which ensure dignity, promote self-reliance and facilitate the child's active participation in the community.
• 2. States Parties recognize the right of the disabled child to special care and shall encourage and ensure the extension, subject to available resources, to the eligible child and those responsible for his or her care, of assistance for which application is made and which is appropriate to the child's condition and to the circumstances of the parents or others caring for the child.
• 3. Recognizing the special needs of a disabled child, assistance extended in accordance with paragraph 2 of the present article shall be provided free of charge, whenever possible, taking into account the financial resources of the parents or others caring for the child, and shall be designed to ensure that the disabled child has effective access to and receives education, training, health care services, rehabilitation services, preparation for employment and recreation opportunities in a manner conducive to the child's achieving the fullest possible social integration and individual development, including his or her cultural and spiritual development
• 4. States Parties shall promote, in the spirit of international cooperation, the exchange of appropriate information in the field of preventive health care and of medical, psychological and functional treatment of disabled children, including dissemination of and access to information concerning methods of rehabilitation, education and vocational services, with the aim of enabling States Parties to improve their capabilities and skills and to widen their experience in these areas. In this regard, particular account shall be taken of the needs of developing countries.

Your support will help reach more persons with disabilities in the poorest parts of the world. To make a general donation to CBM's work, please click on the link below:

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