Honduras Hosts Sub-regional Workshop on Education and Social Inclusion of Children and Adolescents with Disabilities
By Luis Fernando Astorga Gatjens (lferag@racsa.co.cr)
On October 9 and 10, in the Tegucigalpa, Honduras, there was a Sub-regional Workshop on Educational and Social Inclusion of Children and Adolescents with Disabilities.
The workshop was attended by delegates from Costa Rica, El Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Panama, Dominican Republic. There were also representatives from the government of Honduras, the private sector, and organizations of persons with disabilities, and other persons interested in these topics.
This activity was organized by the Inter-American Institute of the Child, a specialized agency of the Organization of American States with headquarters in Montevideo, Uruguay and by the Government of Honduras, National Institute of Women.
Objectives
The purpose of this activity was to study in detail the progress being made in generating public policies to promote inclusion of children and adolescents with disability. It was also a good opportunity for participants to exchange their experiences and cooperation.
This is the second of similar events which began in 2002, with a workshop held by MERCOSUR countries, plus Bolivia and Chile: "To recommend a sub-regional strategy to promote education and social inclusion of children and adolescents with disabilities within public policies."
The situation
The presentations of the participants stated that: "we still are excluding children and adolescents with disabilities and this is associated with poverty" in the sub-region, as it is indicated by the final declaration.
"Our societies are still holding on to cultural environments that discriminate and exclude persons with disabilities from equal participation. Unless the corresponding measures are duly undertaken, this situation will continue to affect and harm the development of children and adolescents with disabilities."
Delegates agreed that: "Our countries have achieved different degrees of development with respect to the education and social inclusion agenda for children and adolescents with disabilities. We are all united by the strong commitment toward inclusion of all our children and adolescents, particularly those with disabilities. As proof, we point to our firm determination on the part of the experts at this event to exchange experiences, technical support and information within the sub-regional framework for cooperation."
A concern with the lack of reliable statistical data was made: "There are no reliable official records regarding the number and the educational and social conditions of persons with disabilities in our sub-region, which would provide us with a more clear idea about the magnitude of the problems at the different levels."
It was also mentioned that: "There is a lack of specific public policies on education and social inclusion of children and adolescents with disabilities." There is also: "lack of coordination and, therefore, there is duplication of efforts by the public institutions and by the organizations of civil society. This causes waste of available resources and work becomes less productive."
Conclusions
Among its conclusions, the Declaration established the need to achieve a wider political and institutional commitment from the government in each country. This will allow better planning and execution of public policies on education and social inclusion for children and adolescents with disabilities.
The Declaration states that, in order to achieve educational and social inclusion, including respect for human rights, there is a need for a "comprehensive strategy which includes rights, gender, ethnic, age, and the disability approach. All to be considered in the definitions and measures to promote such strategy."
It was also concluded that: "the systems for the protection of children and adolescents being developed in the sub-region, must become inclusive and provide equal opportunities for persons with disabilities. This calls for more effective actions on the part of the national agencies in charge of education, health, labor, social security, and family services in each country, locally and nationally, and focusing on specific demands."
International cooperation
During the closing session and on the final Declaration, it was emphasized that: "The International Convention on the Rights of the Child, establishes the value of international cooperation for the development of efforts toward educational and social inclusion of children and adolescents with disabilities, pursuant to its articles 4, 17, 23, 24, and 28."
There was also a call for governments to "effectively comply with the dispositions of the Inter-American Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Persons with Disabilities."
The second day of this Workshop was also used to inform about the process of the United Nations Comprehensive and Integral International Convention on Protection and Promotion of the Rights and Dignity of Persons with Disabilities. The group also expressed its full support for the Convention.
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