The document summarizes a UNICEF Montenegro campaign to promote inclusion and acceptance of children with disabilities. The campaign aims to increase awareness of children's rights and deinstitutionalization among the general public and key stakeholders in Montenegro. Initial surveys found high levels of prejudice against inclusion. The campaign uses events, media, and activities to showcase the abilities of children with disabilities and create opportunities for interaction, in order to shift attitudes and maintain support for inclusive policies. Evaluation found the campaign successfully decreased support for institutionalization after its first year.

1. Presentation by JelenaPerovic, UNICEF Montenegro Communication Officer

3. PARLIAMENTARIANS AT LOCAL AND NATIONAL LEVEL (OPINION LEADERS)

4. PROFESSIONALS WORKING WITH CHILDREN

5. CHILDREN

6. PARENTS

7. MEDIA

8. CIVIL SECTOR

10. just one in five citizens would accept that a child with disability is the best friend of their child

12. Petition against small group houses – June 2010 Inhabitants of the local community in Danilovgrad, where small group homes funded by the US Embassy were supposed to be built, signed a petition against having “Komanski most” in their courtyard in June 2010

13. A threat to the lives of children with disabilities A petition against having “Komanski most” in their courtyard - negative image of children with disabilities victims of abuse in Komanski most institution One of the petitionaries posted on Facebook that if children with disabilities came to their local community, they would slaughter them like pigs – this was picked up by the media.

14. UNICEF responds to the situation with a campaign promoting inclusion of children with disabilities:

15. Campaign launch eventSeptember 10, 2010 Campaign was launched by the Prime Minister of Montenegro, Head of EU Delegation and UNICEF Montenegro Representative

16. Campaign launch eventSeptember 10, 2010 Lazar, a boy with cerebral palsy, and his classmate Nadja talked about their experiences related to inclusive education

17. Campaign launch eventSeptember 10, 2010 The launch was a celebration of Ability

18. Let’s have a look at the campaign…

19. Campaign strategy – create opportunities for showing abilities of children with disabilities Visually impaired young people play the piano Children with disabilities make movies – one min juniors Children with disabilities speak at campaign events regularly in the presence of Ministers, President, Prime Minister, Ambassadors, media,… Children with disabilities dance Children with disabilities play basketball

20. Campaign strategy – create opportunities for children with and without disabilities to become friends and speak out on inclusion together School parliaments discuss about inclusion all over the country and include children with disabilities as their members Children with and without disabilities from all over the country participate in summer camps on inclusion Children with disabilities join their peers in art workshops and perform at children’s music and theatre festivals for the first time Children with and without disabilities participate in intergenerational dialogues on inclusion in several municipalities

21. Campaign strategy – create opportunities forpositive interaction of citizens with children with disabilities Invite people to the events and let them have an opportunity to talk to children informally after the event, take pictures with them and spend some time together

22. Campaign strategy – promote access to materials and places for children with disabilities Through the campaign events and activities, children with disabilities visited embassies, museums, theatres, sports centres, swimming pools, Vila “Gorica” where Prime Minister meets with other Prime Ministers, etc. Children with and without disabilities visit national museums Within the campaign, the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities was printed in Braille and made in sign language for the first time in the Balkans Italian Ambassador welcomes children with disability in his office Children with disabilities perform at musicand theatre festivals for the first time Prime Minister welcomes the Special Olympics Team in Vila Gorica

23. Campaign strategy – give face and voice to Montenegro’s children with disabilities For more than 3 months, around 100 billboards were put up all over the country showing children with disabilities as active members of the society in 2010 and 2011: as friends as daughters, sons, brothers and sisters – our children as sportsmen as artists as students

24. Campaign strategy – create a partnership/coalition for social change

25. Key messages on posters – adapted from UNICEF Croatia: Where many see difficulties, we see opportunities Where many see weakness, we see courage/strength Where many see burden, we see love Where many standback, we see our friend Where many see obstacles, we see friendship Key messages in 2011 refer to the ones from 2010: We see our children We see friendship We see opportunities

26. TV Commercial 2010 - shows a child with disability in a family environment – adapted from UNICEF Croatia Broadcast for free on all national TV stations for 3 months in 2010

27. TV Commercial 2011 - shows a child with disability as a musician with lots of friends – adapted from MetaSocial, Brasil Broadcast for free on all national TV stations for 3 months in 2011

28. It's about ability campaign honoured for the best humanitarian action in Montenegro Also, a participant of the It’s about ability campaign, 16-year-old KsenijaBrajovic, won the award for the statement of the year. "Children with disabilities let us into their world so easily. I believe this is a great thing and that we should let them into our world in the same way." Ksenija said this at the closing event of the first phase of the campaign in December 2010. People from across the countryvotedthrough text messaging and the Facebook social network forIt's about ability campaign to get the “humanitarian action award in 2010”.

29. It's about ability campaign draws attention of the private sector Although the It’s about ability campaign did not have any fundraising activities, the private sector approached UNICEF with requests to donate to the campaign. As a result, PodgorickabankaSocieteGenerale Group supported inclusive education by donating the equipment for opening soft-play areas that stimulate development of children with and without disabilities in 5 primary schools in the capital.

30. RESULTS IN 2010 Placing children with disabilities in specialized institutions was mentioned by 40% of the citizens in August 2010 as the best way to care about them. In December 2010this percentage decreased significantly (21%). Goal in 2011: maintain this change and have more people to start thinking this way by reminding them of our key messages

31. SECONDPHASE 2011 Pretesting -ensure that new materials are the ones most liked by the target group: pretesting has shown us that Montenegrin general public reacts best to the photos of children with and without disabilities doing something together (studying, playing outside in the playground, playing music, sports, dancing, etc.); in order for the public to understand what the campaign is about, there needs to be a child on the photo whose disability is “visible”

32. SECONDPHASE 2011 – continue creating opportunities for children with and without disabilities to meet “It’s about ability campaign through media is a great thing, but it is a completely different impression to have live contact with a child with disabilities.“ Quote by one of the child-participants to the summer camp on inclusion in August 2011

33. The request for social interaction between children with and without disabilities is expressed also by children with disabilities Most of one-min juniors made by children with disabilities in 2010 were about their wish to be friends with children who have no disabilities

34. For more information: JelenaPerovicCommunication OfficerUNICEF MontenegroVladikeDanila 28, 81000 Podgorica, Montenegrotelephone: +382 20 224 277 Ext. 3mobile: +382 69 225 315 fax: +382 20 224 278email: jperovic@unicef.org website: www.unicef.org/montenegro Thank you!