Among people with disabilities, individuals living with intellectual disabilities experience the highest degree of discrimination when it comes to accessing education, noted attendees at an UN-hosted conference in New York on World Down Syndrome Day, March 21, 2019.
“To achieve the goal of inclusive education, we must recognize the human dignity of these individuals and believe in their abilities to participate and be present in society,” said panelist Rosangela Berman-Bieler, UNICEF’s representative for children with disabilities.
The conference concluded with an announcement that international guidelines on the implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons With Disabilities (CRPD)—which would also address inclusive education for people with disabilities—would soon be made public.
Children with disabilities are severely disadvantaged when it comes to their human and civil rights, noted Berman-Bieler, who stated that 50 percent of children with disabilities around the world are not enrolled in schools while those who are registered are exposed to lower quality education than their peers.
“That is why education is so important for these individuals, so they can achieve independence as well as become aware of their rights,” said Rosangela Berman-Bieler.
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