27-Jan-2021
‘Abu-Ghazaleh Knowledge Forum’ Organizes “Visual Disability in Jordan - Reality and Aspiration” Panel Session
AMMAN - Talal Abu-Ghazaleh Knowledge Forum (TAG-KF), a member of
Talal Abu-Ghazaleh Global (TAG.Global), organized a digital panel
entitled “Visual Disability in Jordan - Reality and Aspiration” , in
collaboration with the Higher Council for the Rights of Persons with
Disabilities, through live streaming on the Forum’s Facebook page.
During the session, held in conjunction with the World Braille Day,
TAG-KF hosted the Secretary General of the Higher Council, Dr. Muhannad
Al-Azza, Ms. Rawan Barakat, founder and manager of Raneen Foundation and
Dr. Osama Al-Sayyed, president of Shams AlamalSociety for the Rights of
Persons with Disability.
Dr.
Al-Azza stated that the establishment of the Council aimed at becoming
the institutional and legal umbrella for persons with disabilities in
the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan as well as to provide them with a decent
and sustainable life based on equity and equality.
Furthermore, Dr. Azza highlighted the Council’s role in drawing
strategic policies and plans for disability related issues in Jordan, in
addition to the provision of technical support to government entities
to help them enforce the Law on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities,
referring to the annual report issued by the Council on the extent of
commitment and recommendations.
For her part, Barakat shed light on the great challenge that the
persons with visual disabilities are experiencing in schools and
universities in the absence of integrated education, Braille-written
curricula or audio-books which enable financially capable people to
acquire better quality of education compared with the underprivileged
segment in the society.
Barakat underscored the importance of making schools a
friendly-environment for persons with disabilities, as well as providing
them with qualified teachers to deal with them properly, calling at
the same time for their integration in school classes along with
students without disabilities to provide them equal opportunities in
education and integration.
For his part, Dr. Al-Sayyed stressed the importance of changing
society's negative perceptions of and attitudes toward persons with
disabilities, by enforcing the existing laws and granting them equal
opportunities, pointing out that disability lies in the surrounding
environment which hinders individuals from practicing their life
normally.
He further highlighted the importance of qualifying and training
persons with disabilities to give them the opportunity to compete for
jobs and take part in economic life, in addition to turning them into
productive people who will benefit their families, their society and the
national economy.
For his part, TAG-KF Executive Director and Talal Abu-Ghazaleh Global
(TAG.Global) Education and Youth Consultant, Mr. Fadi Daoud, who
moderated the session, pointed out that the digital virtual sessions
conducted by the Forum are considered the best way to easily communicate
with the audience and followers.
Daoud also pointed out that TAG-KF takes the responsibility of
advocating all social and economic issues including persons with
disabilities by raising awareness on the challenges that face them, as
well as by offering recommendations that contribute to improving their
conditions.
Statistics provided by the World Health Organization (WHO) indicate
that there are 39 million blind people worldwide, 7 million out of them
live in the Arab region.