{"id":119178,"date":"2017-06-02T18:31:21","date_gmt":"2017-06-02T18:31:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/?post_type=document&p=119178"},"modified":"2019-02-05T11:24:42","modified_gmt":"2019-02-05T16:24:42","slug":"palestinian-children-with-disabilities-are-determined-to-learn-unicef-article","status":"publish","type":"document","link":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/document\/palestinian-children-with-disabilities-are-determined-to-learn-unicef-article\/","title":{"rendered":"Palestinian Children with Disabilities are Determined to Learn – UNICEF Article"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\nBy Monica Awad<\/strong><\/p>\n

HEBRON, State of Palestine, 2 June 2017 \u2013 For 12-year-old Wi\u2019am, attending the Blind Charitable Society School is a blessing.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am so happy that I am able to learn using Braille,\u201d says Wi\u2019am as she places her tiny fingers over raised dots to read her Arabic class. \u201cMy favourite subject in class is English because it helps me communicate with the world,\u201d she adds with pride.<\/p>\n

The Blind Charitable Society School serves 67 Palestinian students living with impaired vision in the Hebron Governorate. Established in 1996, the school helps students like Wi\u2019am and others to grow and develop to their full potential.<\/p>\n

\u201cI hold awareness-raising sessions for parents of children with disabilities to make them better understand the rights and the services that their children are entitled to,\u201d says Safaa, Blind Charitable Society School Principal. \u201cAll children have the right to be treated with dignity,\u201d she adds.<\/p>\n

The vulnerabilities facing Palestinian children living with disabilities are often overlapping, leaving many children at greater risk.\u00a0Children living in rural areas have less access to basic services including educational facilities. With funding from the community, the school has secured a bus to transport students to school on a daily basis to overcome this challenge. The children living in remote areas can stay in the school dormitory.<\/p>\n

\u201cOut of 67 students in our school, 13 who come from villages stay in the dormitory,\u201d says Safaa.<\/p>\n

Inspiring children counter stigma and discrimination<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Like all children, those with disabilities have many abilities, but they are often discriminated against and excluded from society, and they lack support. This leaves them among the most invisible and vulnerable children in their society.<\/p>\n

Hammam, 10, was diagnosed with a brain tumour at the age of three. A surgery meant to treat the tumour left him blind.<\/p>\n

But Hammam is an inspiration not only to his community, but the whole world. His determination made him the top student in class. His visual impairment never stopped him from dreaming and continuing to learn.<\/p>\n

\u201cReligion is my favourite subject in class,\u201d Hammam says with a smile.\u00a0\u201cI dream of becoming an Imam when I grow up.\u201d<\/p>\n

Transformational results<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

A 2016 UNICEF study on children with disabilities in the State of Palestine shows that the stigma surrounding children with disabilities is very strong and pervasive.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat stigma is prevalent in the community and in some instances even inside the home,\u201d says Kumiko Imai, Chief of Social Policy at UNICEF.\u00a0\u201cYet, we witness transformational results when children benefit from appropriately tailored health care and inclusive education systems, like Wi\u2019am and Hammam do.\u201d<\/p>\n

Wi\u2019am, who is living proof that children like her can further develop their society, spoke during the local launch of the UNICEF study.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was a bit scared when I spoke at the opening of the launch,\u201d says Wi\u2019am, who was sitting next to Palestinian ministers and high officials.\u00a0\u201cAfter ending my speech, and as I heard the audience clapping for me, I realized how I can transform this world,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

Learn more and take action<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Connect: UNICEF State of Palestine on Facebook<\/a>
\nFollow: @UNICEFpalestine on Twitter<\/a>
\nHumanitarian appeal for children: State of Palestine<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Monica Awad HEBRON, State of Palestine, 2 June 2017 \u2013 For 12-year-old Wi\u2019am, attending the Blind Charitable Society School is a blessing. \u201cI am so happy that I am able to learn using Braille,\u201d says Wi\u2019am as she places her tiny fingers over raised dots to read her Arabic class. \u201cMy favourite subject in […]<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":172,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"country":[],"document-category":[2453,1323],"document-source":[2105],"committee-meeting":[],"document-subject":[2033],"entity":[1729],"document-language":[6542],"class_list":["post-119178","document","type-document","status-publish","hentry","document-category-article","document-category-report","document-source-united-nations-childrens-fund-unicef","document-subject-children","entity-united-nations-system","document-language-english"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/document\/119178","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/document"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/document"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/172"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/document\/119178\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=119178"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"country","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/country?post=119178"},{"taxonomy":"document-category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/document-category?post=119178"},{"taxonomy":"document-source","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/document-source?post=119178"},{"taxonomy":"committee-meeting","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/committee-meeting?post=119178"},{"taxonomy":"document-subject","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/document-subject?post=119178"},{"taxonomy":"entity","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/entity?post=119178"},{"taxonomy":"document-language","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/document-language?post=119178"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}