Government Action on Disability Policy
A Global Survey
Part II - Government Replies as Country Profiles

Jordan

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© Dimitris Michailakis 1997

Transmitted by Permanent Mission to the United Nations, New York (5 March 1996)
Compare with the following Country Report(s): ILSMH

General policy

The officially recognized disability policy in Jordan is expressed in law. The emphasis - in descending scale - is on: accessibility measures, rehabilitation, prevention, individual support, anti-discrimination law.

The Government has conveyed the message of full participation by conducting seminars and mass media campaigns.

Legislation

The rights of persons with disabilities are protected by a combination of special and general legislation. The judicial mechanism available to people with disabilities is due process (legal remedy through courts). Non-judicial mechanisms include: a Governmental body (administrative) and independent expert bodies.

The general legislation applies to all categories of disabled persons with respect to: education, employment, the right to marriage, the right to parenthood/family, political rights, access to court-of-law, right to privacy, property rights. The following benefits are guaranteed by law to persons with disabilities: health and medical care, training, rehabilitation and counselling, financial security, employment, independent living, and participation in decisions affecting them.

No new legislation has been enacted since the adoption of the Rules.

Accessibility

There are laws and regulations ensuring accessibility in the build environment requiring that public places, the outdoor environment, land and air transportation and housing are made accessible. Accessibility in the build environment is observed by the Ministry of Public Works, Municipal councils and Engineering. The measures promoted to facilitate accessibility in the build environment are. levelling off pavements, marking parking areas, installing or widening lifts and installing accessible toilets and providing for specially adapted motor vehicles. Public transport is free of charge to all disabled people and available for the purpose of medical treatment only. When planning to build accessible environments the only obstacle is: economic/budgetary factors. There is a disability awareness component incorporated in the training of planners, architects and construction engineers.

Sign language of deaf people is recognized as the official language of deaf people and recognized as the main means of communication between deaf persons and others. There are Government measures for encouraging media and other forms of public information services to make their services accessible to persons with disabilities. The following services are provided in order to facilitate information and communication between disabled persons and non-disabled: literature in Braille/tape, news magazines on tape/Braille and sign language interpretation for any purpose.

Organizations of persons with disabilities

There is a national umbrella organization (The National Council of the Welfare of Disabled). Legal provisions mandate the representatives of disabled people to participate in policy-making and to work with Governmental institutions. Disability organizations are always consulted when laws and regulations with a disability aspect are being prepared. This occur at the national level. The Government gives organizational/logistic support to organizations. Persons with disabilities participate to some extent in Government, legislature, judiciary, political parties and to great extent in NGOs. The organizations have the role to: advocate rights and improved services, mobilize persons with disabilities, identify needs and priorities, participate in the planning, implementation and evaluation of services and measures, contribute to public awareness, provide services and promote/organize income generating activities.

Co-ordination of work

There is a national co-ordinating committee reporting to the Ministry of Social Development. The committee includes representatives of the Ministries of Health and Social Affairs, Employment, Education, from organizations of persons with disabilities, of other NGOs, and representatives of the private sector and of disabled persons themselves. The national co-ordinating committee is expected to participate in policy development and to perform other tasks such as drafting a general policy and plans at national level. The committee has had the following effects: improved co-ordination of measures/programmes, improved legislation, improved integration of responsibility, a better dialogue in the disability field and improved promotion of public awareness.

The adoption of the Standard Rules has led to a rethinking of the approach to disability policy.

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