Introduction

The issues of equity and social justice, as well as the possibility to lead an independent and fulfilling life, are at the core of social policy in developed and developing countries. While these concerns relate to the population at large, they are especially relevant to the situation of vulnerable social groups whose functioning differs from the majority of society and/or who may need special attention and support. The integration of these groups into society requires increased attention from policymakers and from their social environment. 

Persons with physical disabilities constitute one such example of a vulnerable group. Worldwide and in the ESCWA region, they are subject to high levels of discrimination, which stems from both social stigma and institutional structures, and is considered to be at the basis of their deprivation and impoverishment.  The prevailing perception of persons with disabilities as “medical cases”, wherein the problem is seen to lie with the individual, contributes to such deprivation and motivates an approach that is based on charity rather than on empowerment. 

By contrast, a different perspective on disability lies at the heart of the social model of disability, which sees disability situated in the wider external environment that constrains the interaction of persons with disabilities with their social surroundings. 

The rights-based approach takes up the latter perspective and seeks to accentuate attention to the removal of physical and social barriers that hinder the full integration of persons with disabilities into society. This approach, which lies at the heart of the United Nations support for social development, looks into the extent to which the needs of people are satisfied and, moreover, stresses their agency and underlines their right to a self-defined and fulfilling life.  By applying the core criteria of this approach to a given social situation, factors of deprivation and policy gaps leading to social inequity, inequality and lack of equal opportunities can be mapped out. 

The inequitable access of persons with physical disabilities to social and economic opportunities, and their subsequent vulnerability, is clearly revealed by socio-economic indicators. Persons with physical disabilities indeed face considerably higher levels of unemployment, significantly lower levels of education and dramatically higher infant mortality rates than the rest of the population.[1] They generally belong to the poorest and most disadvantaged social groups and tend to experience social segregation.

The strong correlation between disability and discrimination, deprivation and impoverishment deserves to be addressed by development specialists. It calls for a better understanding of the manifestations as well as the root causes of the social exclusion of persons with physical disabilities. In the ESCWA region, both the documentation of the hardships faced by persons with disabilities and the analysis of the triggers and enablers of their exclusion are often scarce.

Within that context, this report aims to deepen the understanding of the institutional, legal and attitudinal processes, structures and institutions that produce discriminatory asymmetries and that prevent persons with physical disabilities from fully enjoying their social, economic and political rights. In line with the ESCWA objective to strengthen national capacity to achieve inclusive and equitable social development in a globalized world, the paper aspires to provide national Governments with the knowledge and information for the following purposes: (a) to identify the obstacles that hinder the social inclusion of persons with physical disabilities; and (b) to devise more equitable and inclusive social policies for persons with disabilities and, more generally, for disadvantaged groups. 

Specifically, the paper examines the situation of persons with disabilities in Jordan. Jordan has demonstrated a keen interest in facilitating the social inclusion of persons with disabilities.  Its political will and commitment have translated into the ratification of such international conventions as the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.[2] Moreover, it has elaborated key policy documents addressing the equalization of opportunities for persons with disabilities. For example, it introduced in 2007 the National Disability Strategy aimed at accommodating the rights and needs of persons with disabilities and at empowering them to contribute to the social and economic life of the country. This Strategy acknowledges that persons with disabilities in Jordan are still vulnerable to marginalization and enjoy limited access to education, health services, job opportunities and social protection.

Exploring the hardships and the process of social exclusion of persons with disabilities in this middle-income ESCWA member country as well as the national policies and measures aimed at addressing these issues, sheds light on some of the challenges facing social policymakers. These challenges relate mainly to overcoming discrimination and equalizing the rights and opportunities for persons with disabilities. 

Equalizing rights and opportunities for all members of a given society represents the cornerstone of the rights-based approach to social development. At the practical level, this approach translates into the need to design policies aimed at facilitating the availability, accessibility, adaptability and acceptability of social services, including education, health and social protection, for all citizens, particularly members of vulnerable groups (see box 1). 

Box 1. Key elements and implications of the rights-based approach

Definition: The “4 A’s”, namely, availability, accessibility, adaptability and acceptability, are constitutive elements of the rights-based approach. In the framework of this paper, they will be used in the following way:

  1. Availability refers to the existence, in adequate number, of specific social services catering to the particular needs of persons with disabilities (for example, habilitation programmes in health centres);
  2. Accessibility refers to the physical accessibility and affordability of mainstream social services (in other words, mainstream public schools and hospitals);
  3. Adaptability refers to the quality of mainstream social services and their flexibility (or, in other words, their capacity to adapt to the specific needs of some groups);
  4. Acceptability refers to the relevance and cultural and gender appropriateness of social services.

Objective: Assessing the accessibility and adaptability of mainstream social services allows us to monitor whether social facilities are provided on a non-discriminatory basis to persons with disabilities. Acceptability, on the other hand, gives a sense of the level of gender and culture sensitivity of social policies and services. Overall, the “4 A’s” provide a framework to assess the provision of social services to persons with disabilities and monitor progress in the equalization of opportunities for this disadvantaged group.

 

Chapter I provides some general background statistics relating to persons with disabilities in Jordan. 

Chapter II examines international and regional conventions that address specifically persons with disabilities. It underlines the characteristics and specificities of the rights-based approach to the inclusion of this vulnerable group.

Chapter III turns to national policy documents that have a bearing in relation to persons with disabilities in Jordan. It examines the main objectives and underlying principles of these documents in order to investigate their ability to unveil existing discriminatory processes and to address the equalization of opportunities for persons with disabilities. 

Addressing sectoral policy provisions related to disability, chapter IV looks into the fields of education, health, employment, social protection and civic participation. For each sector, this chapter fleshes out more closely the mechanisms and practical realities of inequity and social exclusion, and then confronts these realities to the strategies of national authorities that aim to facilitate the availability, accessibility, adaptability and acceptability of social services and equalize opportunities for persons with disabilities. 

On the basis of these observations and analyses, chapter V presents the conclusions along with specific recommendations in terms of avenues for strengthening rights-based and inclusive social policies for persons with disabilities.[3]


[1] For more information, see United Nations Enable, Factsheet on persons with disabilities, which is available at: http://www.un.org/disabilities/default.asp?id=18.

[2] Jordan ratified the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in 2008, thereby becoming the eighteenth country in the world to commit to it without reservations.

[3] The information in this paper was obtained through a careful review of relevant legislation and official and non-official records from various ministries, including the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Higher Education, Vocational Training Corporation, Higher Council for the Affairs of Persons with Disabilities (HCAPD), University of Jordan, Royal Health Awareness Society, Ministry of Social Development, Ministry of Health, the Department of Statistics (DOS), and Al Hussein Society for the Habilitation/Rehabilitation of the Physically Challenged (AHS). This information was supplemented by interviews with relevant stakeholders and constituencies from the different entities, which were conducted by local consultants in Jordan from March to May 2009.