Executive Summary

This report adopts a rights-based approach to map the access of persons with physical disabilities to social services in Jordan and assess the extent to which they enjoy equal opportunities and are socially integrated. This rights-based approach calls for a thorough assessment of the “4 A’s”, i.e. the availability, accessibility, adaptability and acceptability of social services for all members of society. It thus puts special emphasis on the environmental factors and policy gaps constraining the “4 A’s” and preventing the social integration of vulnerable groups. Accordingly, the objectives of this study are (a) to set forth the social, legal and institutional barriers preventing persons with physical disabilities in Jordan from fully enjoying their right to education, health, employment and social protection and (b) to gauge the ability of social policies to lift these barriers and facilitate the overcoming of inequity for this group.

The report begins by providing general background information on persons with disabilities in Jordan, pointing to the limited availability of reliable data in Jordan and the need for a consistent definition of disability (chapter I). It then turns to international and regional instruments ratified by Jordan that set forth the rights of persons with disabilities. These instruments - which incorporate the principles of the rights-based approach - offer a framework of action for the social inclusion of persons with disabilities (chapter II). An overview of the main policy documents relating to persons with disabilities as well as the administrative bodies in charge at the national level is then provided. On the one hand, this overview documents a comprehensive policy approach focusing on socio-economic rights and the establishment of specialized administrative bodies and institutions. On the other hand, it points to implementation gaps (chapter III).  The core of this report focuses on sectoral policies for persons with physical disabilities in the fields of education, health, employment and social protection. It shows that despite the Government’s significant efforts to equalize opportunities, persons with physical disabilities still have largely inequitable access to social services and constrained opportunities of social development (chapter IV). The report concludes with general comments and specific policy recommendations. It sets forth the challenges still facing policymakers, and proposes ways forward in the fields of education, health, employment and social protection (chapter V).

All in all, this report allows for a number of conclusions. It testifies of the political will and commitment of the Jordanian Government to promote equitable opportunities for persons with physical disabilities, while highlighting unequal progress in the different policy domains. Indeed, some fields, including primary and secondary education or social assistance, receive the lion’s share of policymakers’ attention, while others, such as higher education, require more efforts. In addition, the paper underscores the focus of policymakers on enhancing the availability and accessibility of social services for persons with physical disabilities and points to the challenge of improving their adaptability and acceptability.