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General Assembly Third

Social, Humanitarian,

and Cultural

2016

CHS MiniMUN 2016

Contents

Table of Contents

A Letter from the Secretariat 3

Description of Committee 4-4

Access to Education for Persons with Disabilities

Introduction 5-6

Background 7-11

Recent Development 11-12

International Action 12-14

Recommentations for Creating A Resolution 14

Further Research 15

Resources 16

This background guide has been adopted and reformatted from

UNA-USA 2014 Model United Nations Conference Background Guide for the General Third Committee,

SocHum.

ii

CHS MiniMUN 2016

A Letter from the Secretariat

Delegates,

Welcome to the background guides for MiniMUN 2016! Whether it is your first or third Model

United Nations conference, it is our hope at MiniMUN that you will continue to further expand your

knowledge of MUN, world issues, and the UN itself.

By opening this document, you are taking the first step towards being a participant. The purpose

of this background guide is to introduce the committee and the topic. Further research is required along

with the submission of a position paper. Details on position paper and submission are available under the

Position Paper tab on our website: http://chsminimun.weebly.com/position-papers.html

The topics and committees were chosen to reflect the problems that our world leaders face. From

the basic idea of access to vaccines to avoiding the possible conflict in outer space, these issues have to be

dealt with. As a delegate, you will be stepping into the role of world leaders. You will take on perspectives

different from your own, and you will push for what your country believes to be right.

If at any time you are having trouble finding information on your topic or need help with the

position paper, contact the MiniMUN staff. We are more than willing to help!

We are very excited to see you at MiniMUN 2016!

Karla Chavez and Ashwin Rathie

Secretary-General and Director-General, MiniMUN 2016

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http://chsminimun.weebly.com/position-papers.html

CHS MiniMUN 2016

Description of Committee

The General Assembly, one of the United Nations’ main organs, was created with the

purpose of creating policies, deliberating and uniting countries around the world. Its creation not only

brought countries together to discuss important topics, but also has proven its purpose of maintaining peace

within member countries from its foundation back in 1945. With 193 member states, it provides a unique

forum for multilateral discussion of the full spectrum of international issues covered by the charter.

The General Assembly has six Main Committees: Report of the High Commissioner for the First

Committee (Disarmament and International Refugees.Security Committee), Second Committee (Economic

Source: United Nations and Financial Committee), Third Committee (Social,

Humanitarian and Cultural Committee), Fourth Committee (Special Political and Decolonization

Committee), Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary Committee), and the Sixth Committee (Legal

Committee). All of these work together to ensure the correct functioning of the body as a whole, to set

policy goals and recommendations for the GA and her member states, and to discuss topics of import

amongst member nations to make the General Assembly achieve its purpose.

The Social, Humanitarian, and Cultural Committee (GA 3rd) was created to take care of

humanitarian affairs and human rights issues that affect people all over the world. Because of its important

link to Human Rights affairs, the 3rd Committee also examines reports from the Human Rights Council as

part of its agenda.

In 1948, the committee recommended the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, presented in the

General Assembly by Eleanor Roosevelt, to be used as the standard for laws protecting human rights

internationally.

SocHum: http://www.un.org/en/ga/third/

http://www.un.org/en/ga/third/

Access to Education for Persons with Disabilities SocHum CHS MiniMUN 2016

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Access to Education for Persons with Disabilities

Introduction

Persons with disabilities make up around 15% of the world population, according to the World

Health Organization (WHO). While awareness of disability issues has improved since the commencement

of the annual celebration of the International Day of Persons with Disabilities in 1992, conditions for

persons with disabilities are still not up to the standard they should be. However, a major step towards

improving the status of rights for the disabled came in the form of the adoption of the Convention on the

Rights of Persons with Disabilities by UNESCO in 2006. This convention introduced a universal

framework which states that those with disabilities should be able to enjoy both human rights and

fundamental freedoms, as enjoyed by those without disabilities. UNESCO believes that access to quality

education is a crucial aspect of promoting the rights of persons with disabilities and their inclusion.

Historically, children as well as adults with disabilities have been excluded from both mainstream

education and the workplace. Instead, they have been placed in special schools targeting a specific

disability such as blindness or deafness, which indirectly isolates them from the rest of society. According

to UNESCO, 90% of children with disabilities in developing countries do not attend school. Additionally,

a study conducted by the UNDP in 1998 found that the global literacy rate for adults with disabilities is as

low as 3%, and as low as 1% for women with disabilities. Significant improvement in these areas has only

been observed when legislation has passed that requires the inclusion of disabled children with disabilities

in general educational systems. A review of countries that are a part of the Organization for Economic Co-

operation and Development (OECD) shows that there is a general movement towards inclusive education

(for example in Norway, Portugal and Lithuania) though there certainly are exceptions among developing

countries and states with strong conservative parties (such as Belgium and Germany). In the United States

of America, the education system tries to place children in as integrated a setting as possible while also

providing for special placements as deemed necessary.

http://www.un.org/disabilities/convention/conventionfull.shtml


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Even though inclusive schools appear to be desirable for the achievement of equality and human

rights, not all forms of disabilities will benefit from full inclusion. The World Federation of the Deaf has

argued that a deaf child benefits most from a school where teachers and students use sign language, and

that placement of deaf children in a mainstream school where they have limited interactions with their

surroundings actually excludes them from education and society. Major actors in improving the access to

education for persons with disabilities have been UNESCO, WHO, and the World Bank. These

organizations have promoted their findings and results through the World Report on Disability, as well as

the establishment of the Global Partnership for Children with Disabilities. Although the leadership of these

global organizations is necessary for the advancement of the rights of the disabled, the strongest power to

act and implement various measures to help the disabled lies with governments. For this reason, universal

access to education for persons with disabilities is only possible with the full support and cooperation of

all governments worldwide.

Support for the dignity, rights, and wellbeing of disabled persons is a central condition for equality

and justice for all of humanity. In order to achieve all of the internationally agreed-upon goals, we must

fully address disability as a development issue. There have certainly been victories in the journey towards

attaining access to education for persons with disabilities, such as the 2008 International Conference on

Inclusive Education, where member states committed to adopting an inclusive approach to reach the goal

to achieve education for all. Nevertheless, there are still many goals to be reached regarding the global

ability to provide access to education for persons with disabilities. UNESCO, among other key actors, will

sure have to play an important role in shaping the way this problem is tackled in the near future.


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Background

The slow development of providing access to education for persons with disabilities can generally

be attributed to an insufficient understanding and awareness on the issue. The problem persists because it

is very complex, and no one solution can be implemented worldwide.

Moreover, the definition of a disabled person is constantly evolving and is no longer limited to

persons with physical disabilities. This is considered progressive because more people who require the

services are now included within the category.

However, this has also caused difficulties in education systems as the various disabilities have led

some policy makers to simply segregate the disabled children.

Many different policies have emerged on education for the disabled over the years, including

segregation, mainstreaming, and inclusion. These three practices exist to differing degrees in the various

parts of the world depending on the capabilities of countries.

If persons with disabilities are not given the opportunity to receive education, the consequences

remain with them throughout their lives. An argument that supports the policy of inclusion as well as

mainstreaming is that in addition to receiving education, the disabled should receive education in

conjunction with non-disabled persons because we all co-exist in society. The segregation of the disabled

in education encourages a situation in which they are secluded from the greater society because both parties

do not know how to interact with each other.

The generation of disabled adults who were denied the opportunity to receive education only serves

to emphasize the dire need for a good education program for the disabled as levels of literacy are extremely

high among disabled adults. Furthermore, the non-existence of skills that children normally learn in schools

leads to the inability of the disabled to independently function in society as the lack of education often leads

to the incapability to secure employment.


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Despite the many barriers to achieving a solution to this issue, there has been positive development,

especially in promoting greater awareness. Because of this, there is recognition for the need to establish a

standard for education the disabled.

Prior to this, the issue was mostly tackled on a case-by-case basis, or on a small scale. Noteworthy

achievements include greater cooperation between UNESCO and UNICEF in the Global Partnership on

Children with Disabilities. This partnership has fundamentally transformed international cooperation in

education.9 As part of this partnership, a task force has been formed with responsibilities such as collecting

data, monitoring progress and advocating the need for teacher training for disability-inclusive education.

When discussing the issue of education for persons with disabilities, we have to take into

consideration that segregation, mainstreaming and inclusion are all valid methods and countries have

employed each method with varying degrees of success.

Value on Education

An important issue in some developing countries is the amount of value placed in education,

persons with disabilities and the education of persons with disabilities. This comes down to the promotion

of equality between persons with and without disabilities. The lack of value in the education of persons

with disabilities was a crucial factor in the exclusion of persons with disabilities from education systems.

Key actors in improving this aspect of the access to education are governments. The promotion of

acceptance of persons with disabilities in society as well as the extension of encouragement by the

government to families with disabled persons will go a long way in improving the accessibility to the

disabled and positive response from society.

Inadequate Resources

The issue of inadequate resources is two-fold: on the part of the providers of education, and on the

part of families with disabled persons. Even for a more developed country, the cost of education for a person


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with disability can be high when compared to for a person without disability. A study from the United

States found that on average, educating a child with disability costs the government almost double the cost

of educating a child without a disability. Without increased financial support, a good system of education

for children with disabilities is difficult to achieve.

Today, three ways of funding special needs of education are in use: through the national budget,

financing particular needs of institutions, or financing individuals to meet their needs. Because educating

disabled children sometimes entails costs higher than can be afforded by the government, sometimes the

cost of education falls on the parents’ shoulders. The lack of resources of the families with disabilities

discourages them from sending their children to school. For these situations, incentives are needed to

encourage school attendance of children with disabilities.

Developments

The International Day of Persons with Disabilities is an important day that occurs annually on 3rd

of December. This day raises awareness and sheds some light on the issues concerning people with

disabilities and how far we have come today in allowing them equal opportunities in the world.

Every year, a theme is selected to reflect some of the important topics that need to be known. In 2012,

the theme was “Removing barriers to create an inclusive and accessible society for all.” In 2013, the theme

was “Breaking barriers, opening doors: an inclusive society for all.”

This highlights the crucial need for the global society to break down barriers and the importance of

inclusion as a way forward for persons with disabilities. Even though these campaigns apply to general

issues that pertain to persons with disabilities, barriers and inclusion are very important in advancing the

status of the disabled in the educational arena as well.


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The Policy of Inclusion

In 2012, the Global Partnership on Children with Disabilities formed a special task force under their

purview on the topic of inclusive education. The recent focus on inclusion as a viable strategy to achieve

access to education for disabled persons is indicative of the need for a strong basis for building structures

that will allow future success. This also suggests that concepts of segregation and mainstreaming are not

popular directions in which global society is encouraged to move in.

Moving forward, this trend suggests that meetings between governmental and non-governmental

organizations on the issue of access to education for persons with disabilities will focus on mapping out the

strategy of inclusive education and the implementation of this form of education. One such meeting

occurred earlier this year on 23 September 2013: the High-Level Meeting of the General Assembly on

Disability and Development (HLMDD).

During the HLMDD, two main topics discussed were International and regional cooperation and

partnerships for disability-inclusive development and Post-2015 development agenda and inclusive

development for persons with disabilities. While it is important to think of what needs to happen for current

advancement pre-2015, it should be noted that plans post-2015 need to be made now. As a guide, the

Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) with regards to persons with disabilities are key goals that should

be met as a means to provide the disabled with access to education.

Accessibility

Without physical accessibility and the infrastructure necessary, it is difficult for any significant

advancement to occur. Countries worldwide are encouraged to renovate existing schools to include facilities

that are more disability-friendly such as ramps and handle rails. With the improvement in

infrastructure, accessibility for the disabled will have improved. This is a crucial step towards inclusive

education. Though this may not be necessary depending on the state of schools in any country, it may be

required that new schools be built that are more disability-friendly.


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Even though the current state of schools in certain urbanized areas leave much to be desired,

when targeting locations for improvement, one must not forget the rural areas. Some disabled persons in

these areas are not only disabled, but they may also be marginalized as a minority in society. Therefore,

when thinking of making education more accessible, the marginalized persons throughout the world also

have to be accounted for.

Women’s organizations in various areas of the world have also been playing an important role

in improving access to education for persons with disabilities. One such activity is sponsored by The

Women’s Council of the UK in conjunction with the ADAPT (formerly the Spastics Society in India).14

These groups provided scholarships for educators to be trained in teaching the disabled. Though this is one

particular form of disability education, and only one of many initiatives, this serves as an example of what

can be encouraged in different nations and by different organizations throughout the world.


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International Action

When thinking about an issue as diverse as access to education for persons with disabilities,

disparity in standards of policies and the level of implementation is expected throughout the world.

International action in this sense not only encompasses what is being done by international bodies such as

UNESCO and UNICEF, but also what is being done by other organizations and governments globally. In

order to solve the issue and improve the situation for the disabled worldwide, international action has to be

broken down further into actions taken regionally, nationally as well as locally.

Challenges to be Faced

Funding, unfortunately, is an important factor in determining the level of success of an initiative

towards achieving access to education for the disabled. However, this problem is not unique to the issue of

education for the disabled and should not be treated as such. It is simply imperative to remember that

funding is part of the problem that has to be addressed as part of the solution. With enough determination,

it is possible for governments to receive funding for their policies that aim to implement better educational

systems that greatly benefit the disabled.

The World Bank awarded Vietnam fast track funding due to its development activities geared

toward achieving universal primary education. Vietnam’s credible national plan for universal education and

strategies to reduce poverty was the first in Asia to be recognized by the World Bank.15 Therefore, a lack

of funding is no excuse to not move towards achieving a high or equal quality of education for disabled and

non-disabled children as there are international organizations willing to help countries who require it. The

interaction between local, national and international in the case of Vietnam symbolizes the necessity of

cooperation between different bodies in order to achieve good end results. As part of these plans for action,

nations such as Vietnam, Ethiopia and Sri Lanka all aim towards inclusion as the system of education and

focus specifically on infrastructure and training teachers in the methods of educating persons with

disabilities.


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Even though all countries have room for progress, the advancements made by the United States

in the past 35 years since the enactment of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) have to

be commended. A large portion of their success is a direct result of IDEA investments in rigorous education

research, training and technical assistance which are then employed by various teachers with confidence

Another aspect of their success has been through the development of a national infrastructure that has

benefited both children with disabilities as well as their non-disabled classmates.

According to UNESCO, “the greatest barriers to inclusion are caused by society and not by

medical impairments.” 18 In societies where the disabled are shunned and hidden away, it is foremost less

likely for the parents to even acknowledge the disabilities of their child. This stigma against the disabled

has to be lifted and modified in order for the disabled children in these communities to be given the chance

to receive an education. Even though it may be difficult for governments to change the mindset of their

society, it is not impossible and there are numerous ways such as practicing acceptance of the disabled as

well as employing incentives such as food, transportation and/or monetary benefits.

Moving Forward

The path ahead varies greatly from country to country. Conditions such as policy and legislative

environments have to be considered carefully before deciding on a preliminary course of action that will

then lead to more concrete plans that can be implemented. The Education for All Fast Track Initiative

(FTI) provides data that can be helpful towards establishing what needs to be done next. However, the

use of international bodies as pillars of support are important in ensuring that the development pursued by

various governments are stable. Additionally, it is important to track data and keep a record of the numbers

of persons with disabilities receiving education and if and/or how this changes as different policies come

into play. With each improvement, it is important to note why and how did it come to be successful. Even


14

if certain actions lead to failures instead of successes, it is still important to know the causes and effects

for the benefit of other countries.

When planning for the future, it could also be beneficial to set up immediate, short-term and long-

term goals so that the plan of action has a structure as well as deadlines to adhere to. Many plans currently

in existence monitor conditions or plan activities up to the year 2015. When the time of the plan expires,

an evaluation of the progress made and a new plan should be drafted up to prepare for the future.

Recommendations for Creating a Resolution

For this topic, because the issue is so vast, delegates may want to find solutions in a three-step

approach: immediate, short-term and long-term goals. An important step to achieving access to education

for persons with disabilities is raising awareness and educating the general public on the merits of

education, and inclusive education, for both the disabled as well as the nondisabled. Delegates should also

think about ways to implement inclusive education, and increase the distribution of resources and the

allocation of educational funding, among others. To measure the extent of success, it is imperative for

delegates to assess actions taken prior to 2016, and plan accordingly for after 2016.

While drafting the resolution, as well as during debate, it is important to consider the different

cultural backgrounds present throughout the global society. These differences materialize through the

various attitudes toward persons with disabilities in different countries. In order to relay the importance of

this topic to the maximum number of people, it is important to address the issue and carry out the actions

in a culturally sensitive manner. The consideration of cultural differences globally raises the chances of

more effective implementation of solutions.


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Further Research

Questions to Consider:

1. How can greater educational opportunities be created for persons with disabilities in your country?

2. How should different attitudes toward the disabled be addressed while exploring solutions? Think

in terms of family, teacher, and peer relations.

3. Has your country made efforts to integrate the disabled more completely into educational and

greater society? If so, what efforts have been made? What efforts can be made to integrate persons

with disabilities more effectively throughout the international community?

4. Will making parents and their children more knowledgeable about inclusive education have an

effect on your educational system and student enrollment?

5. How can greater cooperation and discourse be created between the disabled and nondisabled

communities? Does your country believe that cooperation may lessen social isolation in society? If

so, how?

6. How can access to education lead to access of other resources for the disabled?


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Resources

“Introducing UNESCO.” United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

http://en.unesco.org/about-us/introducing-unesco

“UNESCO around the world,” United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization

(UNESCO). http://en.unesco.org/countries/countries-list

“UNESCO’s governing bodies,” UNESCO, http://en.unesco.org/about-us/unescos-governingbodies

“Access for people with disabilities,” Communication and Information, UNESCO,

http://www.unesco.org/new/en/communication-and-information/access-to- knowledge/accessfor-

people-with-disabilities/

“World Report on Disability,” World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Bank,

http://whqlibdoc.who.int/publications/2011/9789240685215_eng.pdf

“Background Note for the Global Partnership on Children with Disabilities,” Task Force on the Global

Partnership for Education, United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF),

http://www.unicef.org/disabilities/files/Education_Background_Note_for_GPcwd_12.08.27.pdf

“World Report on Disability,” WHO and the World Bank,

http://whqlibdoc.who.int/publications/2011/9789240685215_eng.pdf “The Dakar Framework for

Action,” UNESCO,

http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0012/001211/121147e.pdf

http://en.unesco.org/about-us/introducing-unesco

http://en.unesco.org/countries/countries-list

http://en.unesco.org/about-us/unescos-governingbodies

http://www.unesco.org/new/en/communication-and-information/access-to-%20knowledge/accessfor-people-with-disabilities/

http://www.unesco.org/new/en/communication-and-information/access-to-%20knowledge/accessfor-people-with-disabilities/

http://whqlibdoc.who.int/publications/2011/9789240685215_eng.pdf

http://www.unicef.org/disabilities/files/Education_Background_Note_for_GPcwd_12.08.27.pdf

http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0012/001211/121147e.pdf


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“Article 24,” Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), the United Nations (UN),

http://www.un.org/disabilities/default.asp?id=284

“International Day of Persons with Disabilities, 3 December 2013,” the UN,

http://www.un.org/disabilities/default.asp?id=1607#background

“High-level meeting of the General Assembly on disability and development, 23 September 2013,” the

UN, http://www.un.org/disabilities/default.asp?id=1590

“IDA Press Release: High level meeting on disability and development (HLMDD), 23

September 2013,” International Disability Alliance (IDA),

http://www.internationaldisabilityalliance.org/en/article/ida-press-release-high-level-meetingdisability-

and-development-hlmdd-23-september-2013

The Women’s Council, http://www.womenscouncil.org.uk/events.html

ADAPT (formerly The Spastics Society of India), http://www.adaptssi.org/home.html

“Towards Inclusive Education for Children with Disabilities: A Guideline,” UNESCO, Education for All

and Japanese Funds-in-Trust,

http://www.uis.unesco.org/Library/Documents/disabchild09-en.pdf

“Guidance Note: A Department for International Development practice paper, Education for children with

disabilities – improving access and quality,” UKAID,

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/67664/edu-chidisabil-guid-

note.pdf

“Thirty-five Years of Progress in Educating Children With Disabilities Through IDEA,” U.S. Department

of Education, http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/osers/idea35/history/idea-35history.pdf

“Guidance Note: A Department for International Development practice paper, Education for children with



http://www.un.org/disabilities/default.asp?id=1607#background


http://www.internationaldisabilityalliance.org/en/article/ida-press-release-high-level-meetingdisability-and-development-hlmdd-23-september-2013

http://www.internationaldisabilityalliance.org/en/article/ida-press-release-high-level-meetingdisability-and-development-hlmdd-23-september-2013

http://www.womenscouncil.org.uk/events.html

http://www.adaptssi.org/home.html

http://www.uis.unesco.org/Library/Documents/disabchild09-en.pdf

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/67664/edu-chidisabil-guid-note.pdf


http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/osers/idea35/history/idea-35history.pdf


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note.pdf

“The State of the World’s Children 2013: Children with Disabilities,” UNICEF,

http://www.unicef.org/mena/MENA_SOWC_Report_2013_ENG(1).pdf

“Equity and Inclusion in Education: Tools to support education sector planning and evaluation,”

UNESCO, http://www.unesco.org/bpi/pdf/iatt_equity_inclusion_tools_042008_en.pdf, “Guidance Note:

A Department for International Development practice paper, Education for children with



note.pdf



http://www.unicef.org/mena/MENA_SOWC_Report_2013_ENG(1).pdf

