There are few areas which cause more heartbreak and distress for children with intellectual disabilities and their parents than education does. The statistics are clear - children with intellectual disabilities are increasingly excluded from mainstream schooling, and either isolated in special schools, or denied access to education completely.
With its latest research, âPremature Deaths of People with Learning Disabilities: Progress Update,â the British Department of Health addresses the current challenges and possible solutions to unequal care leading to higher mortality rates amongst people with intellectual disabilities.
A beauty contest called âMiss Independenceâ was organized in Russia for and by people with disabilities, in order to increase awareness on disabilities and to change societyâs attitudes towards persons with disabilities.
During the yearly award ceremony of âZero Projectâ, an initiative that strives for a world in which people with disabilities are fully included, the Flemish region in Belgium won the prize of âbest policyâ for the creation of the Personal Assistance Budget.
23% of people with disabilities living in the UK regularly feel lonely. This is the conclusion of a recent survey conducted by âSenseâ, a British charity supporting deaf-blind people. As a result of this, the organization created a campaign called âWe All Need Friendsâ.
The United Nations Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) is currently in the process of examining the measures taken by the European institutions to ensure that the rights of people with disabilities are considered in all relevant legislative proposals.