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First Person
A disabled law student
works for the rights of
disabled children
Fighting for the Rights of the Disabled
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Photo: USAID/Andrea Dickson
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“Meeting so many people
from other countries
working on disabled
children’s rights made me
believe that there really is a
chance that we can make a
difference in Georgia.”
—Lika Revishvili
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A law student from the former Soviet republic of Georgia, 18-
year-old Lika Revishvili has been physically disabled since
birth. Lika gets around with the help of a crutch and her father,
who has devoted 24 hours a day to helping her.
But in Georgia, people with disabilities are deeply stigmatized.
They are usually excluded from mainstream society, often attend
separate schools, and are sometimes institutionalized. The
fact that Lika made it to law school is extraordinary. Her success
is largely contingent on the sacrifices her family makes for
her, but most Georgian families do not have the resources to
provide for their disabled children.
Since 2000, USAID has sponsored delegates from more than
20 developing countries to attend the biannual International
Congress on Including Children and Youth with Disabilities in
their Home Communities. Lika was selected to be one of 16
candidates representing Georgia at the 2004 conference in
Norway, which addressed the legal rights of disabled people
and explored programs that work to include disabled people in
community life. Attendees focused on how to create formal
networks of support within communities that integrate the
health, education and recreation needs of disabled children.
After returning, Lika said she thinks Georgia is one step closer
to realizing the importance of integrating disabled people into
community institutions. “Meeting so many people from other
countries working on disabled children’s rights made me believe
that there really is a chance that we can make a difference
in Georgia,” said Lika.
Another Congress participant offered Lika a job when she returned,
and she now educates non-disabled children about the
legal and human rights of disabled kids. “I could never have
imagined myself in the role of a trainer for children having no
disabilities, but attending the Norway Congress gave me a lot of
confidence and so I agreed,” she said.
Lika and the rest of the Georgian delegation plan to continue to
work together in the future to improve disabled children’s access
to education and social services in Georgia.
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