A critical perspective on the social inclusion children with disabilities in Montenegro:Addressing Social Norms

 Case Study by 

Ida Ferdinandi, Child Protection Officer UNICEF Montenegro

Philadelphia, USA, 12 July 2013Penn-UNICEF Summer Programme 2013: Advances in Social Norms and 

Social Change

Structure 

1. Description of the challenge2. Critical Evaluation of the Work So Far3. Change in Practices 

Description of the challenge• Independent state since 2006 (192nd Member State of the United Nations)

• EU candidate country since 2010

• Children with disabilities socially excluded

• Focus of the paper: 

“Children with disabilities ought to be hidden from public view”

60

40

Children in institutions (%)

Children with disabilitiesChildren without disabilities

2002-2003 2011-2012 TOTAL0

50010001500200025003000350040004500

Number of CWD in inclusive educa-tion

Number of CWD in in-clusive education

Description of the challenge

Empirical expectations

• Parents of CWD as well as the rest of the population expect that parents of CWD hide their children at home or place them in specialized institutions 

Normative expectations

• Parents of CWD and the rest of the population alike believe that other people think that CWD should be hidden at home -- or placed in specialized institutions 

Description of the challenge

Parents • “those parents who want their 

children to die before they themselves die” -  a parent of a CWD

Other people• Overt strong disapproval and 

objections to setting up services for CWD in their neighbourhood - “social sanction”

• the “special reason for their disapproval is the fact that the elementary school children will be in direct contact with children who are in need of special treatment, which may have negative effects on both” (letter by petitioners)

• “children with special needs” will be “slaughtered like pigs” (Facebook).

Description of the challenge

• Increased social inclusion of children with disabilities in recent years

• Change is not taking place evenly across society

Critical Evaluation of the Work So Far

• Reform of the legal framework  NOT SUFFICIENT

• Associations of parents of CWD VOICE?

• “It’s About Ability” ADDRESSING SOCIAL NORMS? 

Critical Evaluation of the Work So Far

• Events: discussions, decisions, commitments

• Schema: ‘protecting children from harm’ 

• New scripts: Paralympics and the Special Olympics

• New empirical expectations: Billboards & participation

• Normative expectations: inviting people to join the campaign. 

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

46

64

36 39

Impact of the It's about ability campaign in Montenegro from Aug 2010 to Dec 2012

Before the campaign in Aug 2010 In Dec 2012

• Measuring: KAP studies

Critical Evaluation of the Work So Far

• Asking other types of questions, hypothetical, counterfactual, and questions about other people.

– “Do other people like you mind if a CWD goes to the same class with their child?”, 

– “What would happen if a small group home were to be constructed in your neighbourhood? Would your neighbours object to it?”, 

– “Do other parents of CWD hide their children at home?”, – “Do other people think that parents of CWD ought to hide children at home? (a few agree/many agree/everyone agrees/who agrees)” etc. 

Change in Practices

• Measuring• Local level• National level

• Enhance KAP surveys on CWD, or combine with other types of research

Change in Practices

• Measuring• Local level• National level

• Make it more local• Core group• Deliberations • Take it to the streets• Include different groups• Diffusion 

Change in Practices

• Measuring• Local level• National level

• Celebrate successes• More discussions 

• Measuring• Local level• National level

• Enabling environment 

Change in Practices

THANK YOU