Children and young people
Children and young people with disabilities in the context of Global South countries face a complex set of challenges that hinder their full participation and inclusion in society. The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) and the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) both require mainstream child and youth services to include and protect the rights of young people with disabilities in development and humanitarian programs.
However, children and young people with disabilities often encounter barriers to accessing quality education, healthcare, and support services, in addition to experiencing stigma and discrimination, which further excludes them from accessing essential services or being included in society. Alongside social exclusion and marginalisation, children and young people with disabilities experience higher rates of violence and human rights abuse, in comparison to children and young people without disabilities, and often experience inaccessible protection services and resources.
Resources in this section provide evidence and research relating to the experiences of children and young people with disabilities, and explores how to ensure they can be included in development and humanitarian programs.
Jenkin, E et al. (2015) Inclusive Practice for Research with Children with Disability: A Guide
This guide presents a set of resources for supporting the involvement of children with disability in research, as well as consultation, policy and service development, monitoring and evaluation.
Human Rights Watch (2022) “It Was Really Hard to Protect Myself”: Impact of the Armed Conflict in Syria on Children with Disabilities
This report examines the specific impact of the conflict in Syria on children with disabilities through detailing the abuses they face, including a heightened risk during attacks and a lack of access to the basic support services they need.
United Nations Timor-Leste (2018) Leaving No Youth Behind in Timor-Leste Policy Brief #5: Young People with a Disability
This policy brief aims to determine the situation of young people with disabilities in Timor-Leste and the barriers they face.
UNICEF (2022) The Cost of Raising Children with Disabilities in the Philippines
This study includes a nationally representative quantitative survey and qualitative in-depth interviews with households and health professionals.
UNICEF (2021) Seen, Counted, Included: Using data to shed light on the well-being of children with disabilities
This report offers the largest compilation of statistics on children with disabilities to date.
Plan International (2016) Guidelines for consulting with children and young people with disabilities
This document provides a guidance on the importance of consulting with children with disabilities.
