Explanatory Note

The following country profiles have been compiled based on data collected by ESCWA and the League of Arab States between May and September 2013. Data on persons with disabilities was collected for a range of selected quantitative indicators from national censuses and household survey data. Comparable data on the total population was also collected wherever possible for indicators related to geographical location, marital status, educational attainment and economic activity. Data was then sent to designated focal points in the national statistical offices of all 22 Arab countries for verification. Additional data was collected from the same year as the source for the data on persons with disabilities for the following socio-economic indicators: Human Development Index (HDI), life expectancy at birth and gross national income (GNI). Qualitative information on institutions and laws (presented on the last page of each country profile) was collected through a questionnaire, which ESCWA and the League of Arab States distributed to their respective government focal points. 

The main purpose of the country profiles is to present a picture of the situation of persons with disabilities, not in isolation, but in the context of the societies in which they live. As such, comparability of data between persons with disabilities and total populations represented a key priority during the study. In order to facilitate such comparability, certain statistical principles had to be observed during the data collection process. 

Firstly, in cases where competing sources of quantitative data and conflicting information were encountered, ESCWA selected the source that (i) provides the most comprehensive data on the set of selected quantitative indicators; and (ii) includes the most recent data on both persons with disabilities and the total population. In some countries, the only source that provides comparable data on both persons with disabilities and the total population may date from several years back and the data may therefore seem outdated. In these three cases (Morocco, Palestine and Saudi Arabia), ESCWA has included the disability prevalence rate from the more recent source and has provided bibliographical information for both sources.

Secondly, in those limited cases where data on persons with disabilities and total populations were not available from the same source, tables on total populations were left blank. In other words, data on total populations in these cases may be available from other sources, but has been omitted from this study as it would be of limited use for comparative purposes. In only one case, Syria, did we choose to present data on both persons with disabilities and on the total population even though they do not stem from the same source, and readers should be aware of their limited comparability. In addition, no data was available for four countries (the Comoros, Djibouti, Mauritania and Somalia), and therefore these country profiles are also presented as blank. 

Finally, it is important to note that the terminology and categories presented in the country profiles have been taken directly from official country data sources and as such do not necessarily reflect recommended UN terminology, as enshrined in, for example, the ICF (see table 2).