Mapping national disability strategies in the Arab region

13 out of 22 States[1] in the Arab region have released national disability strategies, whether general in scope or more specialized, such as the “National Autism Strategy” in Qatar or the “Strategy for empowering people with disabilities in higher education and scientific research” in the Sudan. The full mapping of national disability strategy in the Arab Region can be reviewed in Annex 1.

First, the nine States[2] that have not established national disability strategies have an opportunity to learn from the experiences of their regional peers and build strategies that respond to their local context and needs.

Second, a review of the existing 13 national disability strategies in addition to a review of the CRPD Committee’s concluding observations reveal a number of positive aspects and opportunities for further improvement. Below are some brief observations:

1. Commitment to a human rights approach to disability

The national disability strategies in the Arab region illustrate an increasing commitment to a human rights-based approach to disability as well as progress in legislative changes to ensure inclusion and prohibit discrimination. These strategies also support the national implementation and monitoring mechanisms regarding the rights of persons with disabilities, either through national human rights institutions or dedicated disability committees or councils.

2. Improving implementation and evaluation mechanisms for national disability strategies

At the same time, one recurring recommendation by the CRPD Committee is the need to improve measures for implementing and evaluating these strategies, especially since a few of them have expired and States will work on updating them or establishing new ones.

(a) Challenge of conflict and instability

It is worth mentioning that conflict and political fragility remain challenges for States in the region to develop new strategies or update existing ones. This is evident in Yemen, which developed a “National Disability Strategy” for 2014-2018.[3] However, due to the to the ongoing conflict, there have been challenges to implementing and updating the strategy.

In other countries, such as Libya and the Sudan, political instability is inconducive to effective governing institutions, which are necessary in order to develop and implement national disability strategies.

(b) Inclusive and participatory processes

In a questionnaire sent by ESCWA to IGED focal points,[4] seven States (Bahrain, Jordan, Morocco, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the Syrian Arab Republic and Yemen) indicated that their national disability strategies were developed in an inclusive and participatory process wherein different government agencies, non-government organizations and organizations of persons with disabilities were consulted. This is a positive trend and in line with the emphasis under the CRPD for a participatory and inclusive approach.

3. Lack of disability-inclusive disaster, humanitarian and emergency responses

Disability-inclusive approaches are needed in the design and implementation of disaster and emergency strategies. This gap was noted in several concluding remarks of the CRPD Committee, and a lesson learned from the response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The root cause of this gap is a lack of awareness of the necessity to include the needs of persons with disabilities in national disaster and emergency response plans. Such an awareness is a necessary condition to ensure the allocation of necessary resources and capacities. Disability-inclusive approaches to disaster and emergency responses can follow the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030, which stresses the importance of integrating a disability perspective, in addition to involving persons with disabilities themselves in the design and implementation phases per the principle of “nothing about us, without us”.

4. Opportunities to improve inclusive education

There are opportunities to improve inclusive education, through national disability strategies or by mainstreaming disability inclusion within national education plans. One challenge in the region is the continued segregation of education for children with disabilities, and There is a need to move towards inclusive education environments within the mainstream schooling system. This would require programmes, policies and investments in inclusive education technology, curricula and training. There are however significant experiences in this regard in the region. For example, Jordan launched a “10-year Strategy for Inclusive Education” for the years 2019-2029, which uses a phased approach in its theory of change. It focuses on legislative changes, awareness-raising, accessibility and reasonable accommodations, human resources and capacities, the inclusion of children who are usually excluded from education and focusing on research and data collection.[5]

5. Opportunities to improve inclusive health

There are opportunities to improve inclusive health, through national disability strategies or by mainstreaming disability inclusion within national health plans. This would help ensure access to healthcare for all persons with disabilities, especially women and those in rural areas. There is also a need to provide disability-inclusive training to medical staff on the human-rights approach to disability. In addition, there are opportunities to adopt community-based inclusive development (CBID)[6] in the region. The older centralized medical approach to rehabilitation can be replaced with CBID, which is more holistic and people-centred and relies on a localized approach to ensure persons with disabilities are included in their community and have equal access to their rights in all areas: health, education, employment, sports, recreation and more.[7]

6. The need to invest in accessibility and digital inclusion

Despite legislative and policy progress to ensure accessibility of the built and digital environments in the region, gaps remain, which are especially visible if one explores the lived experience of persons with disabilities. In addition to being a human right, ensuring the accessibility of all facilities, public and private spaces, transportation and access to information and communication technology also has social and economic benefits. Accessibility benefits everyone in society and ensures social inclusion, not to mention the business case for it, as it opens up untapped market segments and drives innovation.[8]


[1] The 13 States that have released national disability strategies are Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Oman, the State of Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the Sudan, the Syrian Arab Republic, the United Arab Emirates and Yemen.

[2] The nine States that have not established national disability strategies are Algeria, Comoros, Djibouti, Iraq, Kuwait, Libya, Mauritania, Somalia and Tunisia.

[4] ESCWA questionnaire on “National Disability Strategies in the Arab Region” sent to IGED members, October 2021.

[7] In the region, the State of Palestine has an extensive experience in community-based rehabilitation programs, see: https://www.unrwa.org/sites/default/files/content/resources/unrwa_disability_inclusion_report_2020_final.pdf.