abuse. A study in Orissa, India found that almost all women and girls who had a disability had been beaten at home, 25 percent of those with intellectual disabilities had been raped and 6 percent of those with a disability had been forcibly sterilized.

• Only 45 countries in the world have anti-discrimination and other disability-specific laws and far too few countries have programs and services that support this vulnerable group.5
• Children with disabilities receive harsher punishment across the developing world, based on interviews with nearly 46,000 caregivers in low-to-middle-income countries.

IT CAN GET COMPLICATED

“Vilma lives in the small town in the Patacancha Valley in Peru. At 25 years of age, Vilma suffers partial blindness, along with other cognitive ailments, stays home alone for hours at a time while her single mother works to provide for them. Vilma’s problems are more than just superficial; an inaccurate birth certificate has prohibited her mother from receiving government assistance. Vilma’s life would improve vastly with an amended birth certificate, but the cost and time associated with wading through an implacable bureaucracy has proved to be unaffordable to her mother… In addition to growing populations and the many countries’ inability to properly care for their disabled, many families lack the resources to care for their family members or they are humiliated that they have a disabled child” (emphasis added). 7

"Only 45 countries in the world have antidiscrimination and other disability-specific laws and far too few countries have programs and services that support this vulnerable group."

HOW DO WE STACK UP TO THE REST OF THE WORLD?

France: There are housing benefits available, as well as support for parents caring for a child with a disability – including help with education and paying for a caregiver. Companies with more than 20 staff members are required to have at least 6 percent of their workforce comprised of people with disabilities.

Germany: Children with a disability are covered under Germany's health insurance. Other measures to assist people with disabilities include:

• Incentives for companies to employ people with disabilities
• Offering housing benefits and home modification to accommodate a person's needs
• Free public transport
• Home care assistance

Russia: Russians with disabilities have many obstacles to overcome. In addition to surviving the logistics of Russia's notorious winters and infrastructure, other difficulties include workplace discrimination, lack of access/accommodation, and low payouts for those out of work. Russia has laws protecting people with dis

abilities in place, but actually enforcing them and taking action is what really counts.

Italy: Individuals with disabilities can get tax breaks to buy things like disability-friendly vehicles and home accommodations. However, Italians with disabilities have a high rate of poverty.

"Compared to the United States, wealthy European nations (and Scandinavian countries like Norway, Sweden and Denmark) tend to have more generous disability benefits and larger social safety nets in general." 8

NEVERTHELESS

"Parents may believe that children with disabilities won't respond to less harsh forms of discipline. Or they may be frustrated, and may not know what else to do." 9

"People with disabilities in third world countries are left to beg or live off the kindness of others. People with disabilities in the USA are educated, trained to work, and protected from discrimination (thanks to tax-funded programs like Public Education, the Rehabilitation Act and Americans with Disability Act)." 10 •

ABOUT THE AUTHORS:

• H. Barry Waldman, DDS, MPH, PhD is a SUNY Distinguished Teaching Professor, Department of General Dentistry, Stony Brook University, NY. E-mail: h.waldman@stonybrook.edu.
• Rick Rader, MD, DHL (Hon) is the Director of the Morton J. Kent Habilitation Center, Orange Groove, Chattanooga, TN; Senior VP Public Policy, American Academy of Developmental Medicine and Dentistry; Adjunct Professor, Human Development, University of Tennessee-Chattanooga. He is Exceptional Parent Magazine's Editor in Chief.
• Steven P. Perlman, DDS, MScD, DHL (Hon) is the Global Clinical Director and founder, Special Olympics, Special Smiles; and Clinical Professor of Pediatric Dentistry, The Boston University Goldman School of Dental Medicine.

References

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