In 2013 UNICEF(United Nations Children’s Fund) launched its State of the World’s Children report, focusing analysis on children with disabilities. The aid organisation started promoting awareness through its #ThisAbility Portraits campaign. According to the report about 93 million children worldwide suffer from a mild or severe disability. Despite this alarming reality, more than one-third of the world’s countries fail to provide these children with adequate resources and services, according to the campaign.
The hashtag has been constantly used on social media whith users uploading inspiring photos of people with disabilities.
UNICEF: “Play is essential to ALL children’s growth and well-being!”
Howayne Fannell: “Playing helps in the development process of a child so no matter if a child is disabled or not it is their fundamental right to play without been discriminated against thanks for sharing UNICEF. #Equalityforall”
Moshood Holudey Liasu: “Sport strengthen self belief , raise men and women of strong spirit of optimism and fight. Gives hope to downtrodden and rejuvenate a seemingly lost purpose in life. #ThePowerOfSport #ThisAbility #AmASportAdvocate” Jane Skillicorn: “All children have a right to play all right! Regardless of their abilities, their level of wealth and backgrounds, or where they were born. Let the children play!” Chiluba Jessica Zulu: “Very true. All children must be treated the same. Disability should not be a factor.”
United Nations Human Rights: “See #THISability, not disability. Women & Girls w/ #disabilities, just as everyone else, deserve equal access, rights & empowerment, not pity.”
Josephine Bundoc: “UNICEF staff run in tandem with our children with developmental, visual and hearing disabilities! #ThisAbility”
Hai A. RN: “Anyone who does anything to help a child in his life is a hero to me. #unicef #heroesforchildrenrun #runrio #21kmrun #thisability UNICEF Philippines”
Evelyn Lamoridan: “Warm seeing this... Hope there’s a lot more to come.”
On September 8, UNICEF posted a video of Lionel Messi and his Barcelona colleagues joining Spanish Paralympic blind team for a football match.
UNICEF: “FC Barcelona vs the Spanish Paralympic Blind Football Team. Two of the world’s best teams play an inspiring 5-a-side blind football match to celebrate #thisability. #Paralympics #TeamUNICEF”
Derek Michael Doyle: “I always look forward to the #Paralympics. It’s the greatest display of the human ability & spirit. FC Barcelona & UNICEF continue to be a global force for good. #TeamUNICEF #thisability”
Khalid Zaman: “FC Barcelona vs the Spanish Paralympic Blind Football Team. This week marks the 10th Anniversary of the UNICEF-FC Barcelona Foundation partnership. Over the last decade, the partnership has reached over a million boys and girls with access to education, sport and play for children who might otherwise be excluded. This work includes the Open Doors programme which operates in 15 cities across Brazil promoting inclusive education to girls and boys with disabilities.”
