Reality of People with Disabilities in Palestine
Statistics conclude that the reality of PWDs is a reality of marginalization,
exclusion, and limitation. Over 53%
of PWDs in Palestine are illiterate,
87.3% are unemployed,
75% are unable to use
public transportation due to lack of accessibility, and around
37% of PWDs under 15
years old have dropped out of school.[1]
Furthermore, there is a structural limitation in PWDs’ access to needed
rehabilitation services, medical consumables, assistive devices, medical
equipment, education, employment, as well as the lack of early detection
systems of difficulties.
Although national statistics in Palestine estimate disability prevalence at
around 7%, the actual percentage is expected to be much higher. This is due to two
main factors: the definition of disability adopted by these statistics is
restricted to the medical understanding of disability, in addition to the
negative prevalent culture towards disability due to which many families tend
to hide information about their members with disability, especially females[2]. As a result, many PWDs remain unregistered in national statistics. At the
same time, WHO states that disability prevalence rate reaches 15% around the world, of which
80% live in the
developing world[3]. In particular, Palestine is considered one of the top countries in regards
to disability prevalence rate in the Arab World[4]. The Israeli occupation is considered a major contributor to this, since it
systematically targets Palestinians with shootings and assaults on a daily
basis.
That being said, the reasons behind the exclusion and discrimination that
PWDs face in the Palestinian context could be summarized according to the
three following layers:
- Weak legislative and political systems and their inability to respond to the needs and issues of PWDs, in addition to their limited efficiency, poor reinforcement mechanisms, lack of sanctions on those violating the law, and the lack of political will needed to make the required change.
- Negative societal attitudes towards PWDs which tackles disability issues from a charitable or medical perspective, and labels them as unproductive and incapable.
- Lack of physical and informational accessibility in the different fields, such as education, health, work, and social participation.
[1] Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS) and the Ministry of Social Affairs. 2011. Disability Survey: Main Results Report. Ramallah, Palestine.
[2] The Independent Commission for Human Rights (ICHR). 2013. The Right of Persons with Disability To Decent Work In Palestine: A Field Study. A series of special reports no. 81.
[3] United Nations. International Day of Persons with Disabilities. Accessible through: <https://www.un.org/en/observances/day-of-persons-with-disabilities/background>
[4] Economic and Social Commission of Western Asia (ESCWA) & League of Arab States. 2014. Disability in the Arab Region: An Overview.