Inclusion and Deinstitutionalization

The head of the institution maintained that based on Jordan’s Law on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities No. 20 of 2017, the institution was supposed to reject people beyond age 50, but has refrained from doing so “out of humanitarian support.” The only formal channel for deinstitutionalization was through the Ministry of Social Development, a decision it determined by evaluating the family’s capability to care for their institutionalized relative. Caregivers stated that relatives made decisions on behalf of their institutionalized family members without taking their preferences into consideration. They also reported that most residents preferred to live at home and looked forward to vacations when they could leave the institution and be with their families. However, when asked whether they would like to leave the institution or stay in it, the majority of the interviewed residents made it clear that they preferred to stay, or were indifferent or undecided. One resident expressed a desire to leave the institution, commenting, “I do not know what I need [to be fully independent] but [I] would like to live a normal life, like everybody else. Maybe if I can get a job, it will be possible.”

When caregivers were asked about the kind of support persons with disabilities needed to live autonomously, they stressed the importance of family assistance and cooperation. They also reported potential risks related to domestic violence, attempts at abandonment, and sometimes a family’s ignorance in dealing with their family member.