It is estimated that there are around 70,000 children in Bosnia and Herzegovina who have some kind of disability.
This is a very vulnerable group in Bosnian-Herzegovinian society which is faced with prejudice, exclusion and neglect by decision makers. Children with disabilities and their parents continue to face obstacles when it comes to the right to education, despite the fact that it is guaranteed by international documents to which our country is a signatory, primarily the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
Children with disabilities are included in the education system to different degrees and in different ways: from inclusion in the regular school system, through inclusion in regular schooling, where they do not have adapted conditions and/or learning programmes or are separated into special classes (integration), to attending schools for special education (segregation) or not attending any form of education (exclusion).
The notion of inclusion is most often encountered in educational discourse, but inclusion is a much broader social reform process that extends into all social pores. Inclusion in educational and social processes is a fundamental human right, and this process brings benefits to society as a whole. Under the basic idea of the richness of diversity (because it is normal to be different), inclusion is a two-way process that encompasses the wider community, and involves the development of awareness, removal of barriers and building of capacities.
When it is implemented well and in a quality manner, inclusion contributes to the development of society. Quality implementation of inclusion does not require large financial resources, but it is necessary to change the awareness of the general public.
In this regard, it is of great importance how the media will treat this topic.
In Tuzla Canton, it is estimated that there are around 7,500 children with disabilities who are involved in various ways in the schooling process.
Since the middle of 2018, the project “Inclusion4All - Inclusive education for all children in BiH” has been implemented in this Canton, funded by the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS), and implemented by Save the Children. As part of the project, Centers for the Development of Inclusive Practices (CDIP) were established in Banovići and Gradačac, which operate according to modern principles of inclusion and provide support to children with disabilities, their families, professionals and entire communities (except Banovići and Gradačac; centers through their mobile teams also provide services in the municipalities of Kladanj, Živinice, Srebrenik).
In order to support the development of inclusion and the application of the biopsychosocial model at the local level in the Tuzla Canton area, Save the Children has prepared this handbook for reporting on children with disabilities and inclusion in educational and social processes.
On the following pages, users of the handbook will get a more complete insight into the concept of inclusion of children with disabilities and good practices in BiH and other countries, more information on challenges and ways of media presentation of this topic influences this progress, and will be introduced to the terminology, journalistic techniques and tools for a better reporting on children with disabilities on the path to creating more inclusive media.