UNICEF undertook an effort to gather reliable information on the access of chil- dren with disabilities to health, education and social protection services. The survey also sought to reveal the levels of participation of children with disabilities in different life activities, such as sport, culture and community events, as well as the attitudes and awareness of their families or caregivers. The analysis of data reveals that children with disabilities in Armenia face strong barriers in access to services, in particular related to school inclusion, rehabilitation and community participation.

1. October 16, 2012, Yerevan

2. Survey Description
• Goal: identify the level of access for children with disabilities, to reveal
their participation in different life activities, to identify the barriers to
inclusion
• Target: Children with disabilities, aged 0-18
• Primary Source: Pyunik database
• Method: Questionnaire-based face-to-face interviews
• Respondents: Parent (in families), guardian (in orphanages)
• Implementer: Armenian Marketing Association
• Data Collection Period: August- December, 2011
• Analysis: Disaggregated by gender, residence, region and disability

3. Interview Summary

4. Interviews by Region

5. Interviews in the Orphanages

6. Limitations
• Target group
Primarily children with certified disabilities
• Coverage
• Methodology
Disability classification done based on medical
diagnosis in Pyunik database only

7. GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS OF
CHILDREN

8. Geographical Distribution
Yerevan Regional Urban Rural
1459
28%
2198
41%
1665
31%

9. Age and Sex Distribution
Male Family
1689
Female (32%)
174 211
(45%) Orphanage (55%)
3633 5% Family
(68%)
21%
14%
17% 20% 0-3 y/o
4-6 y/o
7-9 y/o
16% Orphanage 10-12 y/o
20% 18%
13-15 y/o
24% 16-18 y/o
12%
16%
18%

10. Type of Disability
3%
7% Families
7%
24%
Motor
32% 36% Physiological
7%
Intellectual
Visual
2% Orphanages
4%
Auditory
Epilepsy
4%
2%
Combined
20%
32%
20%
Physiological – hematological, cardiovascular, imunological and respiratory
functions(b4) , digestive, metabolic and endocrine systems(b5), urino-
genitary, reproductive(b6) and skin and skin-related functions (b8)

11. EDUCATION

12. Kindergarten Attendance
50%
48% Male Female Total
44%
43%
41%
37%
36%
35%
33%
23% 23% 23%
14%
12%
9%
Yerevan Regional Urban Rural Total (Families) Orphanages

13. School Attendance
General School Special School Does Not Attend
5%
23%
67%
69% 70%
75%
72%
13% 10%
12%
12%
18% 23% 18%
13%
Yerevan Regional Urban Rural Total (Families) Orphanages

14. School Attendance
General School Special School Does Not Attend School
59%
68% 64%
70% 70% 68% 69% 68% 70%
75%
80%
89%
18%
10% 15% 10%
8% 8% 13% 15% 12%
12% 2%
23% 22% 23% 21% 21% 22%
18% 18% 7% 18% 18%
13%
5%

15. School Attendance
Does not attend school Special school General school
Total 18% 12% 70%
Epilepsy 14% 5% 81%
Combined 20% 17% 63%
Intellectual 27% 25% 48%
Auditory 8% 36% 56%
Visual 7% 7% 86%
Motor 26% 6% 69%
Physiological 6% 4% 90%

16. Out-of-school Children
Male
Female 72% 72% 72%
Total
23% 24%
22% 23%
21%
18% 17% 18%
15% 15%
13%
11%
Yerevan Regional Urban Rural Total (Families) Orphanages

17. Reasons for Non-attendance
The child was refused admission to school Distance/transportation
Parents see no need for school The school does not have sufficient conditions
Because of health condition Parents (guardians) think the child cannot study at school
2% 5% 4%
7% 4% 6%
4% 7%
9% 5% 7% 1%
6% 19%
18% 19%
19%
29%
39% 34%
38%
99%
54%
46% 48%
36%
Yerevan Regional Urban Rural Total (Families) Orphanages

18. HEALTHCARE

19. Children NOT under paediatric care
Male Female Total
28%
25%
23%
21%
19%
20%
19%
18% 18%
13%
12%
11%
3%
2%
1%
Yerevan Rural Regional Urban Total (Families) Orphanages

20. Reasons for not being under paediatric
care
10%
Insufficient Quality
16% 12%
13%
12%
13% Are not aware of the service
8% 23%
16%
5% 11%
4%
Service is not available in the
19% 22%
26%
community
30%
Cannot afford the service
53% 52% Parents think there is no need
48%
43%
Yerevan Regional Urban Rural Total (Families)

21. Use of services as per the Individual
Rehabilitation Plan
82%
32%
30%
23% 22% 23%
16% 17%
12%
Physiological Motor Visual Auditory Intellectual Combined Epilepsy Total Orphanages
(Families)

22. Frequency of use of paediatric services
82%
Families
Orphanages
33%
21% 21% 21%
7%
4% 5%
3% 2%
Daily Weekly Monthly 3-4 times a year 1-2 times a year Only if necessary

23. Provision of Technical Devices
35% Male Female Total
34%
33% 32%
30% 31%
28%
28% 26% 27%
27%
25%
24% 24%
22%
Yerevan Regioanl Urban Rural Total (Families) Orphanages

24. Provision of Technical Devices
75%
43%
33%
27%
12%
9%
8%
3%
Physiological Motor Visual Auditory Intellectual Combined Epilepsy Total

25. Reasons for not getting rehabilitation services
and technical devices
6%
Are not aware of the service
54%
87%
Parents see no need
26%
Service unavailable in the
community 12%
Technical Device Rehabilitation
4%
Cannot afford
13%
8%
Other
8%

26. SOCIAL PROTECTION
AND COMMUNITY-BASED SERVICES

27. Other social
Disability pension
protection/support

28. Payments
Medical Services Social Services
Equipment Examination Medical Staff Hard to respond Disab pension provision
Medicine No Payment MSEC Evaluation No Payment
2% 3%
2% 5% 5%
9% 5% 2% 3% 4%
6% 4%
9% 8%
4% 11%
23% 31% 28%
29%
25%
24% 22%
16%
91%
82% 86% 86%
57% 49% 50% 52%
29% 33% 33% 32%
Yerevan Regional Urban Rural Total (Families) Yerevan Regional Urban Rural Total (Families)

29. Daycare centers NGOs
Orphanages 83%
Total 7% Total
(Families)
11%
Tavush 17% Tavush 12%
Vayots Dzor 1% Vayots Dzor 0%
Syunik 10% Syunik 15%
Shirak 8% Shirak 11%
Lori 3% Lori 11%
Kotayk 0% Kotayk 2%
Gegharkunik 9% Gegharkunik 12%
Ararat 3% Ararat 11%
Aragatsotn 2% Aragatsotn 14%
Amavir 9% Amavir 6%
Yerevan 10% Yerevan 14%

30. Participation
© Armenian Caritas

31. Leaving home/orphanage premises
Periodically, at least a few times a
week
42%
A few times a month
81% 78%
82% 86%
92% 89%
93% 92%
A few times a year
30%
Only for visiting a doctor
5%
10%
11%
11% 11%
9%
6% 6% 13% Never/Rarely
5% 4% 5% 6% 4% 3% 3%
1% 2% 4% 1% 1% 2% 3% 4% 2% 2%

32. Friends
Children of the orphanage Non-disabled classmates Classmates/kids with disabilities Neigbour's children Relatives' children Has no friends
40%
57% 58%
45% 50% 44%
29%
6% 12% 27% 27%
10% 6% 12%
19% 9%
81% 81% 79% 78%
71% 52% 71%
55% 30%
6%
66% 56%
65% 54%
71% 70% 67% 65%
71%
6%
3%
21% 20% 16%
6% 12% 5% 4% 8% 12%
Physiological Motor Visual Auditory Intellectual Combined Epilepsy Total Orphanages
(Families)

33. Participation in community events
Total (Families) 66%
Epilepsy 66%
Combined 55%
Intellectual 54%
Auditory 78%
Visual 76%
Motor 61%
Physiological 77%

34. Sports
Male Female Total
Epilepsy 8% 3% 7%
1% 0.6%
Orphanages
Combined 7% 2% 5%
Total 10% 5% 8%
(Families) 6% 4% 5%
Intellectual
5% 2% 4% Auditory 18% 6% 13%
Rural
Visual 14% 3% 11%
Regional 11% 4% 9%
Urban
Motor 9% 6% 8%
17% 11% 15%
Yerevan 13% 5% 11%
Physiological

35. Art and Culture
Orphanages 9%
Total
10%
(Families)
Epilepsy 10%
Combined 8%
Intellectual 6%
Auditory 16%
Visual 16%
Motor 9%
Physiological 13%

36. Family Awareness
Completely unfamiliar Has Heard of Quite familiar
59% 35% 6%
RA Law “On social protection of disabled people in the RA”
RA Law “On persons in need of special conditions for 60% 35% 5%
education”
66% 31% 4%
UN Convention for the rights of disabled people
64% 32% 4%
UN Convention On the Rights of the Child

37. Priority Services
Specialized medical care Inclusive schools, preschools Special transportation
Job Opportunity Leisure, playgrounds Financial aid
4%
58% 34% 32% 30% 10%
Total (Families)
3%
66% 39% 35% 30% 9%
Rural
4%
63% 34% 30% 33% 6%
Regional Urban
40% 26% 28% 25% 17% 4%
Yerevan

38. Facts of Concern
• 1 out of every 6 children with disabilities surveyed (16%) lives or studies in
seggregated settings (orphanages or special schools).
• Girls with disabilities are relatively more frequently taken to orphanages
than boys, and are relatively less frequently visited.
• Only 1 out of every 20 children with disabilities (5%) in the orphanage
attends a mainstream school; 23% attend special schools, and 72% do not
attend school at all.
• 1 out of every 4 (23%) never leaves the orphanage or leaves the
orphanage only for the health services.
• The majority (around 88%) of the children do not have friends without
disabilities outside of the orphanage.

39. Facts of Concern
• 1 out of 5 children with disabilities (18%) does not attend school.
The figure is 23% (1 out of 4) in the villages. Children with motor
and intellectual issues are more likely to be out of school (26 to
27%).
• 51% of the parents of children not attending school in the regions
and 36% in Yerevan believe that their child cannot study in school.
• 12% of the children with disabilities attend special schools, and 70%
of them are in boarding settings. The figure is much higher for
children with disabilities related to auditory (36%) and intellectual
(25%) functions.
• Only 48% and 56% of the children with intellectual and auditory
disabilities, respectively, attend mainstream schools.

40. Facts of Concern
• 1 out of 5 children with intellectual and combined
disabilities (20%) does not have friends, and only half of
them have friends among their neighbors (directly in
their community).
• 1 out of 3 children with disability (33%) does not
participate in community activities. Children with
intellectual and combined disabilities are included less
(50% of them do not participate in activities).

41. Facts of Concern
• 1 out of 4 children with disabilities (23%) receive
services prescribed by the individual
rehabilitation plan.
• 4 out of 5 children with disabilities (81%) do not
receive services of social protection
(support), other than the pension.
• 2/3 of the parents have never heard about the
Republic of Armenia laws and international
conventions related to disabilities.

42. Recommendations

43. Improve identification and assessment procedures
• Actively seek out children with disabilities who are
not certified and stay invisible to the social
protection system
• Revise disability certification and service eligibility
criteria based on the ICF principles
(biopsychosocial model)
• Ease bureaucratic procedures and involve the
multidisciplinary team directly working with the
child

44. Create a continuum of services for the child throughout
the life-cycle
• Ensure cooperation between healthcare, education and
social protection services (via the case manager)
through mechanisms of referral, exchange of
information and coordinated service provision to
children.
• Create new community-based prevention and early
intervention, as well as health and social rehabilitation
and care services.

45. Enable access to all mainstream preschools and
schools.
• Streamline the professional capacity and
resources of special school towards inclusive
education
• Sensitize and train the teachers and headmasters
• Ensure infrastructure accessibility
• Improve special education needs assessment
procedure

46. Prevent Institutionalization of Children with Disabilities
• Prevent child abandonment through
providing early and comprehensive
information, services and support to
children with disabilities and their families
• Provide alternative care within the wider
family or in a foster family

47. Promote awareness to improve participation
• Organize campaigns
• Ensure active and appropriate media coverage
• Sensitize service providers and parents
personal contact
with persons with disabilities
is the most effective way
to influence
the way of thinking about disability

48. IT’S ABOUT INCLUSION!
Thank you for your attention