Children with special needs to reach their full potential through the newly launched educational program

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Sunday, 12 June 2005

Yevlakh, May 2005- “This program is the only opportunity for my child to reach his full potential”-said Amir Shukurov, the father of 3-year-old Ali, a child with poliomyelitis who will benefit from a newly launched program on inclusive education for children with disabilities. International Medical Corps (IMC) has started the implementation of The Rural Inclusive Education Program (RIEP Program), a project funded by BTC/SCP partners and Open Society Institute (OSI) to address an undeniable need for inclusive education services in rural areas. “Children with disabilities are often neglected in Azerbaijan. In rural areas, these children do not lead normal life. They spend their whole time at home, have no educational options and therefore cannot achieve their full potential”-explained Aynur Akhmedova, an expert from Center for Innovations in Education, a local NGO working on this project with IMC team. The RIEP program will integrate 24 children with special needs into classes at three mainstream kindergartens and three mainstream primary schools in the Yevlakh district of Azerbaijan. A key component of the program is raising awareness and reducing the stigma associated with children with disabilities. Past evidence suggests that children with disabilities tend to experience more social isolation and challenges with social integration than their peers. “This situation is typically the result of the stigma often attached to those with physical and mental disabilities and a lack of peers understanding about their disabilities”-said Aynur Akhmedova. To address these issues, special training for parents and teachers will be conducted in the frames of the RIEP program. The training will explore the relationship between the methods parents and teachers use to facilitate social interactions for children with disabilities and their overall quality of life. The overall goal of the RIEP program is to mainstream children with disabilities into society and ensure that a competent, viable and responsive support system is created so that children with disabilities are able to reach their full potential. “Today, more than ever, we must make sure that children with disabilities are given access to education that maximizes their unique abilities and provides them with tools for later successful, productive lives. IMC has elaborated the RIEP program to ensure disabled children receive special training and care designed to help them become self sufficient”-stated Adam Sirois, Regional Director for IMC, at a program presentation for teachers at one of Yevlakh schools.

Last Updated ( Thursday, 05 April 2007 )