Definitions and General Statistics on Persons with Disabilities in Jordan

The main official body responsible for producing data in Jordan is the Department of Statistics (DOS), which conducts a population census once every ten years.  The population census contains a section on “persons with special needs”, which provides relevant information on persons with disabilities in the country.[1] In this section, the census breaks down the population affected by disability by age, gender, governorate and type of handicap. It also provides information on a range of socio-economic development indicators, including health insurance status, educational level and economic activity.  These indicators are examined more closely in the following chapters.

Based on information provided by the 2004 Population Census, the total number of Jordanians with physical disabilities is 32,793, amounting to some 0.64 per cent of the national population.[2] More generally, according to the figures provided by DOS, persons with disabilities, including such non-physical disabilities as mental disability, represent 1.18 per cent of the Jordanian population, or 60,364 persons. The figures provided raise the issue of the accuracy of data on persons with disabilities. Indeed, the DOS estimates of persons with disabilities contrast with the estimates provided by international organizations. The World Bank, for example, estimates that there are between 196,000 (lowest estimate) and 524,000 (highest estimate) persons with disabilities in Jordan.[3] The range of prevalence estimates is therefore between 3.5 and 10 per cent. Using a global average, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates disability to affect 7 to 10 per cent of total population. This estimate converges partially with the estimates by the World Bank, while standing in sharp contrast to the figure of 1.18 per cent as estimated by DOS.

The discrepancies between these estimates can be considered a reflection of the lack of reliable information and statistics in Jordan. Within that context, the National Disability Strategy highlighted, in its first chapter, the paucity of reliable information on persons with disabilities in Jordan. The poor quality of data presents a major challenge in terms of estimating the magnitude of the problem and, consequently, of devising appropriate policies and interventions.  

The contrasted estimates provided by the Government of Jordan and by international organizations can also stem from the lack of an explicit agreement on the definition of disability (see box 2). WHO provides a comprehensive definition of disability to explain the limited opportunities of persons with disabilities by the restricted compatibility between the functioning of an individual and the features of the society in which he lives. Similarly, the National Disability Strategy adopts an interactive definition of disability that emphasizes the role of environmental, social and behavioural barriers in reducing the ability of persons with disabilities to carry out their activities or fulfil their rights.  By contrast, the approach to disability as set forth by Law No. 31 is less comprehensive.[4] Specifically, the Law disregards environmental conditions and focuses on impairment to explain the limited opportunities for persons with disabilities.

Box 2. Definitions of disability and persons with disabilities

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), disability can be defined as “an umbrella term, covering impairments, activity limitations, and participation restrictions. An impairment is a problem in body function or structure; an activity limitation is a difficulty encountered by an individual in executing a task or action; while a participation restriction is a problem experienced by an individual in involvement in life situations. Thus disability is a complex phenomenon, reflecting an interaction between features of a person’s body and features of the society in which he or she lives.”

The National Disability Strategy defines disability as “the reduction in the ability to carry out daily activities, or the exercise of a right or fundamental freedom on an equal basis with others, due to overlapping environmental, social or behavioural barriers in addition to visible physical impairment or invisible physical, emotional or intellectual impairment”.

According to Law No. 31 of 2007 (the Law on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities), a person with disabilities is anyone “suffering from a permanent, partial or total impairment affecting any of his/her senses, or his/her physical, psychological or mental capabilities, to an extent that undermines his/her ability to learn, work, or be rehabilitated, and in a way which renders him/her unable to meet his/her normal day-to-day requirements under circumstances similar to those of non disabled persons”.

The Department of Statistics in Jordan breaks down the handicaps of “persons with special needs” into the following categories: multiple handicaps, visual, mental, cerebral palsy, physical, and deaf or mute. The census therefore distinguishes physical handicap from visual handicap, deafness and muteness. In the framework of this paper, however, figures and statistics relating to persons with physical disability include persons with a visual or physical handicap as well as deaf and mute people.

 

The 2004 Population Census allows for a broad overview of some of the characteristics of persons with disabilities in Jordan. Relying on national statistics, figure I shows, for example, the distribution of persons with physical disabilities by age and gender.[5] It points to the fact that disability is more common among men than women across all age groups.  It also reveals that children and youth with disabilities are more numerous than adults aged 30-44, adults aged 45-59 and elderly people with disabilities. Specifically, the number of persons with disabilities is higher in the age categories 0-14 and 15-29, thereby reflecting the age structure of the general population.

Figure I. Persons with physical disabilities by age group and gender

Estimation of the number of persons with physical disabilities: Age group 0-14: female almost 4000 persons, male almost 5100 persons, total almost 9000 persons. Age group 15-29: female almost 3300 persons, male almost 5700 persons, total 9000 persons. Age group 30-44: female almost 2300 persons, male 4000 persons, total almost 6300 persons. Age group 45-59: female almost 1100 persons, male almost 2200 persons, total almost 3300 persons. Age group 60-74: female almost 1400 persons, male almost 2100 persons, total almost 3500 persons. Age group 75-80: female almost 600 persons, male almost 800 persons, total almost 1400 persons.

Source: Department of Statistics (DOS), Population and Housing Census 2004.

Figure II shows the distribution of persons with disabilities across major governorates in Jordan, revealing that most persons with disabilities live in the Governorates of Amman, Irbid and Zarqa at, respectively, 32.3 per cent, 21.0 per cent and 16.2 per cent of the population with disabilities.  

Figure II. Distribution of persons with physical disabilities across Jordan

Estimation of the distribution of persons with physical disabilities across Jordan (percentage): Amman 32.3, Irbid 21, Zarqa 16.2, Balqa almost 6.6, Mafraq almost 6, Karak almost 4, Jarash almost 3.6, Ajloun almost 3.3, Madaba almost 2.6, Ma’an almost 2, Aqaba almost 1.5, Tafeeleh 1.4.

Source: Department of Statistics (DOS), 2004.

Figure III indicates the concentration of persons with disabilities in the different governorates in relation to the general population. It reveals that Ajloun, Mafraq and Irbid have the highest rates of persons with physical disabilities per 1000 inhabitants in the country at, respectively, 8.7, 7.9 and 7.4 per 1000, compared to, for example, 5.5 per 1000 in Amman. This information can be useful to policymakers who might want to look into the reasons for a higher concentration of persons with disabilities in some governorates. These higher concentrations can be attributed to, among other reasons, the way persons with disabilities are defined and accounted for by the different governorates or to environmental factors that influence the health and safety of the population. Moreover, data on the concentration of persons with disabilities across governorates can be useful to policymakers in setting nationwide policy priorities.

Figure III. Concentration of persons with physical disabilities across Jordan (per 1000 population)

Estimation of the concentration of persons with physical disabilities across Jordan (per 1000 population): Ajloun 8.7, Mafraq 7.9, Irbid 7.4, Ma’an almost 7.2, Jarash almost 7.08, Zarqa almost 7, Balqa 6.3, Karak almost 6.2, Madaba almost 6.1, Tafeeleh almost 6, Aqaba almost 5.4, Amman almost 5.5, Jordan almost 6.5.

Source: Department of Statistics (DOS), 2004.

[1] The Government of Jordan. Department of Statistics (DOS). 2004 Population and Housing Census 2004. Available at: http://www.dos.gov.jo/sdb_pop/sdb_pop_e/inde_o.htm.

[2] Ibid.

[3] These estimates are based on data by the United Nations Statistics Office.

[4] The Government of Jordan. Law No. 31 for the Year 2007: Law on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

[5] It should be noted that these statistics refer to Jordanians living in Jordan. They do not take into account Palestinian refugees in Jordan.