Starting from a physical or functional impairment, disabilities have many implications on all aspects of life including educational, occupational, health, and social dimensions.   As a consequence of cultural beliefs, lack of awareness, and/or inadequate services, persons with disabilities are often marginalized and are not given the same opportunities of contributing to and participating in community life.

With the aim to address these challenges that face the physically disabled, the United Nations Development Porgramme (UNDP) and AVSI in cooperation with Al Hussein Society for the Habilitation/Rehabilitation of the Physically Challenged, are organizing a three-day training workshop, which will start tomorrow Monday, 11 December 2006.

The workshop is part of UNDP and AVSI project “Towards better integration of persons with disabilities through ICT and networking” which is funded by the government of Italy.  It aims to provide equal opportunities for the people with physical disabilities to be integrated within and participate in society both socially and economically.

Jordan was the first nation in the Middle East to enact disability specific legislation and introduce building codes aimed at accessibility.  Jordan’s law, “Welfare of People with Disabilities”, guarantees total integration and inclusion in society in a wide variety of areas, including education, employment and health care.  Nevertheless, persons with disabilities in Jordan, as realized by the National Agenda, continue to be vulnerable to marginalization  They still have limited access to education and job opportunities and have weak participation in the decision making process affecting their lives.

In Jordan it is estimated that 5 per cent of Jordan’s population is disabled. This number cannot be overlooked, therefore, this training workshop, which is attended by representatives of organizations working for disability, will help to build the capacity of the participants in the area of advocacy and lobbying techniques with the aim to eventually improve coordination and collaboration among these organizations and to develop a concise, cohesive and strong message concerning the importance of the rights of the disabled in Jordan.

This training workshop is the first of a three-planned workshops, that will gather government officials from Labour, Education and Social Development Ministries and several NGOs who are working in the field of disability issues. 

For further information kindly contact Ms. Rania Tarazi, UNDP Poverty Analyst at mobile no. 0777 229910 or Mr. Simon Sweiss, Project Manager at mobile no. 0777 4332