Disability is not just a health issue. The idea of who is disabled also comes from people’s cultures, communities, and physical surroundings. For example, a deaf child who is taught to read lips and lives with people who speak in sign language is not necessarily disabled.

People who work in international development see a link between poverty and disability. Poor people are at greater risk of becoming disabled and they tend to have fewer chances to overcome their disabilities. This increases the chances that they and their families will remain poor.

Some children are born disabled because their mothers did not receive proper prenatal care when they were pregnant, or they had a hard time giving birth. Other children become disabled because they grow up in difficult conditions. One major cause of disabilities is a shortage of good, nutritious food. When children are malnourished, they may not grow as fast as they should and they are less able to fight off diseases. They also may not be able to learn to read and write as well as healthier children.

Childhood diseases such as polio also leave many children disabled. In most countries, children receive vaccines to prevent disease, or, if they get sick, they are given medicine. But in poor countries, vaccines and medicine may not be available to all children because they are too expensive or because parents don’t know these things exist.

Many children in developing countries are also hurt by the effects of war. Sometimes they are forced to become soldiers. In other cases, they survive war, but are injured by landmines that are left behind in the fields. It is expensive to find and remove landmines after wars are over. In the poorest countries, the explosives stay in the ground. Many kids have lost arms and legs in landmine accidents.

International groups like UNICEF, the World Health Organization, and the World Bank try to fight childhood disability in two major ways. The first is that they work on prevention by helping poor pregnant mothers and children get the good food and medical care they need, and by removing landmines from fields where people grow their food. Another important thing they do is to help disabled children go to school so that they can learn how to overcome their disabilities by gaining the skills to move out of poverty.

What does it mean?

Disabled: When a person’s physical or mental condition keeps them from being able to function in an expected manner. Disability may result from illness, injury, or wounds.

Prenatal care: Medical care that women receive while pregnant to help make sure that they and their babies are healthy.

Malnutrition: Not having enough nourishing food with the adequate amounts of protein, vitamins, minerals, calories, etc. to support growth and development.

Polio: An infectious disease caused by a virus. It can strike at any age, but usually affects children under three years old. The disease causes paralysis, the inability to move a body part.

Vaccine: A shot that helps your body build protection against disease.

Landmine: An explosive mine hidden underground; it explodes when stepped on or driven over.

UNICEF: A part of the United Nations system whose task is to help children living in poverty in developing countries.

Related Links
Children Beyond Borders
www.savethechildren.org
www.landminesurvivors.org