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324 – UNICEF’s It's about ability programme in Montenegro of 2010,
Montenegro
Responsible body: UNICEF, in partnership with other stakeholders (Government of Montenegro,
European Union, etc.)
Country of implementation: Montenegro and other CEE/CIS countries
Beneficiaries targeted: Entire population
SUMMARY
UNICEF’s It's about ability programme in Montenegro started in 2010 and is a nation-wide multi-stakeholder campaign
that engaged government officials, celebrities, civil society, educators and school children to increase awareness of the
rights of person with disabilities, and to support a reform on inclusive education and de-institutionalization. Its
innovative approach and inclusion of children and youth with and without disabilities attracted a lot of public attention,
and turned the campaign into a movement of social change as partners from all sectors and institutions started to
involve.
CONTEXT/P ROBLEMS TARGETED (WITH ADDITIONS FROM THE ZERO P ROJECT T EAM)
In September 2010, UNICEF Montenegro launched a Communication for Development (C4D) campaign to increase
awareness of the rights of children with disabilities and change social norms that exclude children with disabilities. The
campaign, ‘Govorimo o mogućnostima’ or ‘It’s About Ability’, was designed to change the behaviour and attitudes of
people, who were not informed about children with disabilities or who had no personal experience with them (as the
survey showed that they discriminated the most). Communication for Development (C4D) has played an integral part in
international development efforts over the past five decades and in UNICEF it is considered as one of the core
cross-cutting strategies essential to advancing programme goals.
OBJECTIVES/GOALS
To change attitudes and practices towards children with disabilities. To increase awareness amongst the general public
on the rights of children with disabilities and stimulate discussion about social norms that would challenge the existing
exclusionary practices.
KEY F EATURES (W ITH ADDITIONS FROM THE ZERO P ROJECT TEAM)
UNICEF’s It's about ability programme in Montenegro of 2010 is to be classified as an international non-legally binding
policy measure that consisted of the following C4D Strategy and Approaches:
1. Advocacy: Children and young people both with and without disabilities were at the center of the campaign. For
the first time, people could see and listen to children speak on inclusion on the most popular TV and radio
shows, see them on billboards all over the country, etc. Youth, parents, teachers, health and social workers and
politicians were seriously engaging with the issue of children with disabilities for the first time. The campaign