Amman - Involving people with disabilities in decisions and policies that affect their lives is not limited to demonstrating a commitment to human rights, or inviting them to a meeting or having them appear in a group photo. It is a genuine recognition of their right to participate, and of the fact that they are not merely beneficiaries of policies, but stakeholders with expertise and a right to shape them.
اضافة اعلان
A person living with a disability knows, from the details of their experience, what many studies and reports cannot convey. They are best placed to explain how an unprepared sidewalk becomes a daily obstacle, how the absence of sign language interpretation limits access to knowledge and participation, how a simple administrative procedure can turn into a complicated journey that depends on others, or how a decision that did not consider the needs of the people concerned can create new difficulties in their lives.
Here lies the importance of moving from speaking on behalf of people with disabilities to speaking with them, listening to them, and working alongside them.
Participation of people with disabilities in dialogue
Many people view persons with disabilities as a group needing care, protection and assistance. These needs are important, but this view must broaden to include their rights to autonomy, choice, expressing opinions, participating in public life, and influencing decisions that concern them.
Genuine empowerment means creating the conditions that allow them to take part in decision-making themselves, and to have their views heard from the very beginning of preparing policies and plans, ensuring their participation is effective and reflects their needs and experiences.
In Jordan, the efforts and initiatives that have involved people with disabilities in dialogue about policies, legislation and decisions related to their rights cannot be overlooked, nor can their role in conveying their views to the relevant bodies. These are important steps that deserve to be built upon and strengthened. But there is still a need to expand this participation and provide more sustainable and influential spaces that allow people with disabilities to express their priorities and experiences and reach the sites of dialogue and decision-making, rather than their voices remaining confined to occasional events or limited consultations.
Supporting them in making their voices heard, giving them the tools of advocacy and influence, and removing the barriers that prevent their participation is essential. The goal is not simply for people with disabilities to be present in the discussion, but to be effective partners in shaping policies, setting priorities and monitoring their implementation.
Genuine participation begins when it includes the diversity of disability experiences themselves, including people with physical, visual and intellectual disabilities. No single experience represents people with disabilities, and no single voice can speak for everyone.
Respecting the choices of people with disabilities starts in the family
Sociology expert Fadia Ibrahim explains that excluding people with disabilities from decisions that affect their lives reinforces their sense of marginalization and weakens their trust in institutions and society. From a sociological perspective, belonging is linked to society's recognition of an individual's ability to participate and influence, not merely to receiving services. Therefore, involving them strengthens their dignity and confirms that they are partners in society, not merely recipients of care.
A pity-based view focuses on disability rather than on abilities and rights, and may lead to decisions being made on behalf of people with disabilities under the pretext of protecting them. What is needed, according to Ibrahim, is a shift from empathy, which can turn into guardianship, to a culture that respects autonomy and will, and treats them on the basis of equality and partnership.
She argues that involving people with disabilities in everyday, educational and community decisions gives them an opportunity to express their needs, take responsibility, and develop skills of choice. It also strengthens their confidence and sense of worth, helps them gain independence, and provides appropriate support without depriving them of their right to make decisions.
Responsibility begins in the family, by respecting the choices of the person with a disability and listening to their opinion. Then educational institutions must provide an inclusive environment that enables their participation, according to Ibrahim. As for the media, it must move beyond stereotypes based on pity, and present people with disabilities as holders of experience, opinions and abilities, giving them room to take part in public debate.
Real participation also requires clear texts and procedures that guarantee the involvement of people with disabilities and their organizations' representatives from the beginning of policy preparation, their representation on national committees and planning councils, and access to information and meetings. Their proposals must also be documented and their impact on final decisions shown, so that participation does not become a mere formality.
Ibrahim notes that accountability can be strengthened through clear complaint and appeal mechanisms, review of decisions, and periodic reports on the level of participation and representation. The performance of institutions should also be linked to their commitment to the rights of people with disabilities, and relevant legislation should be applied fairly and transparently.
The principle "nothing about us without us" holds that people with disabilities must be partners in the decisions that affect their lives, not merely advisers who are listened to without any influence. Assessing how this principle is applied requires reviewing the mechanisms of representation and genuine participation, and whether their views are reflected in policies. Their presence at meetings alone is not enough unless they have a real impact on outcomes.
Ibrahim explains that obstacles include legislative, administrative and financial barriers, weak regulatory procedures, difficulty accessing meeting venues and digital platforms, a shortage of accessible information, and limited funding for transport, sign language interpretation and other supportive communication means. Stereotypes and weak training opportunities may also limit their access to leadership and public participation.
Fair representation of people with disabilities requires taking into account the diversity among women and men, children and young people, and people with physical, visual, hearing, intellectual and other disabilities. Their various organizations should also be involved, and equal opportunities to run for office and take part should be provided, rather than limiting representation to a narrow group that does not reflect the diversity of experiences and needs.
According to Ibrahim, ensuring access to information, meetings and consultations requires providing information in accessible formats, such as sign language, Braille, digital files compatible with screen readers, and plain language where needed. Meeting venues and electronic platforms must also be made accessible, and sufficient time must be allowed to review proposals, to ensure independent and informed participation. Accessibility is not an extra privilege, but a basic condition for equality in participation.
The oversight role is an important factor in ensuring the participation of people with disabilities in the political process
Human rights activist and inclusive education expert Dr. Osama Jumaa points out that involving people with disabilities in determining their own destiny and making decisions is one of the most important and noble goals that must be pursued. In particular, the overall aim is always for the person with a disability to reach the highest possible degree of independence in their abilities, including making their own decisions, the "right to self-determination." This is what must be worked toward, but is it actually happening?
He adds that the question is legitimate, and that we must not overlook a reality that policymakers may not like. So far, what we see is a plea for the inclusion of people with disabilities in political work, or for genuine representation of them in national bodies and institutions. They are often invited in a formal way to ineffective dialogue sessions just to showcase their presence, but in reality they are not included in the essential political processes that affect their professional and social lives.
Jumaa notes that Jordanian law, including the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Law No. 20 of 2017, particularly Article 44, is sufficient to guarantee the right of people with disabilities to participate.
He points out that the oversight role is an important factor in ensuring the inclusion of people with disabilities in the political process and their full representation within it, since government bodies and institutions are expected to be fully committed to the law, especially the law on the rights of persons with disabilities.
Jumaa continues that this is where the role of the Higher Council for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities emerges, as a national policymaker and a monitor of the implementation of the law on the rights of persons with disabilities and its provisions. The council is therefore the body responsible for monitoring and ensuring the law is applied. This is carried out through the work of its various directorates, including the Equal Opportunities Committee, which ensures the right of people with disabilities to work and fair access to it, and other directorates that closely monitor institutions' and bodies' compliance with the law.
Jumaa says that a review of current conditions and practices suggests we are still far from this principle, even though there are attempts to involve people with disabilities in political work. The general mood does not reflect our aspirations as people with disabilities.
He adds that the law may be the greatest facilitator of people with disabilities' access to political work, rather than what is expected. The most important obstacle to their access is the attitudes of decision-makers and councils, who view the abilities and potential of people with disabilities negatively. This cannot, of course, be generalized.
Jumaa concludes that there must be an inclusive youth coalition or grouping that brings together segments of society including people with disabilities, through which those with genuine competence can be included in the political process to represent people with disabilities in general.
He ends by saying there must be an "guide to facilitative arrangements for the access of people with disabilities to political work," and that the staff working in parties and national institutions must be trained on it, to expand the participation of people with disabilities in official and unofficial gatherings concerned with political and legislative work.
Source: Al-Ghad. Reporting by Ruba Al Rayahi
