UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador and acclaimed actor Danny Glover joined children for a friendly game of dodge ball in Sarajevo today in a show of active support of the “It’s About Ability” campaign to promote inclusion for children with disabilities.
A special guest of this year’s Sarajevo Film Festival, Glover took to the field to support the campaign launched in early July by UNICEF, the European Union delegation to Bosnia and Herzegovina and USAID, to raise awareness and change attitudes and actions around children with disabilities and their families.
The actor was joined by UNICEF’s Representative Florence Bauer, Chargé d’Affaires a.i. of the EU Delegation to Bosnia and Herzegovina Renzo Daviddi, and USAID acting Mission Director, Steven Majors along with children living with and without disabilities as a part of Youth Sports Games finals in Sarajevo.
The “It’s About Ability” campaign aims to get people to sign a pledge to commit to supporting children with disabilities by:
- Encouraging the participation of children with disabilities into society;
- Involving children with disabilities and their families in decision making;
- Promoting the early identification of disabilities;
- Ensuring access of children with disabilities to essential services;
- Promoting day-care services for children with disabilities;
- Expanding opportunities for children with disabilities to reach their full potential;
- Mainstreaming the rights of children with disabilities into all policies and programmes.
Children with disabilities are too often left invisible in Bosnia and Herzegovina and therefore outside the reach of social services. They are often confined to their homes or placed in large-scale institutions. As a result, they have less access to health services and education and are more likely to experience neglect and abuse.
Source: UNICEF
