Youth with Disabilities Youth with Disabilities Ramping the Road Map Ramping the Road Map

of the Middle East of the Middle East

Identifying the challenges Identifying the challenges that impede the that impede the implementation of implementation of developing services and developing services and promoting economic promoting economic development for people development for people with disabilities with disabilities

Lessons learned by Mercy Lessons learned by Mercy Corps Corps

Intellectual Property Rights of Karen SabaIntellectual Property Rights of Karen Saba

OverviewOverview For Mercy Corps, there are three For Mercy Corps, there are three

challenges that impede the challenges that impede the implementation of service programs implementation of service programs promoting the productivity of people promoting the productivity of people with disabilities. with disabilities.

1.1. The Middle Eastern Environment itself - The Middle Eastern Environment itself - including  local attitudes, social beliefs and including  local attitudes, social beliefs and national political will national political will

2.2. Diverse economic systems within the regionDiverse economic systems within the region3.3. The methodology of donors and foreign aid The methodology of donors and foreign aid

in funding disability program in funding disability program

1. The Middle East 1. The Middle East EnvironmentEnvironment

Local attitudes and political will limit Local attitudes and political will limit the potential for self-determination the potential for self-determination of YWDs. of YWDs.

Individuals with disabilities lack the Individuals with disabilities lack the knowledge or support to create knowledge or support to create effective services for themselves and effective services for themselves and their community.their community.

2. Diverse Economic 2. Diverse Economic SystemsSystems

Most qualified PWD service Most qualified PWD service providers with the capacity to providers with the capacity to empower those with disabilities end empower those with disabilities end up working in the Gulf countries, up working in the Gulf countries, although most are trained in Egypt although most are trained in Egypt and Jordan. and Jordan.

In the Gulf, disability services are In the Gulf, disability services are totally privatized. totally privatized.

2. Diverse Economic 2. Diverse Economic SystemsSystems

Slide 2Slide 2 The relationship between national The relationship between national and per-capita income and disability and per-capita income and disability rights may be interesting to explore. rights may be interesting to explore.

While disability service providers While disability service providers and heath care professionals in the and heath care professionals in the Middle East usually have good Middle East usually have good theoretical knowledge, they lack theoretical knowledge, they lack practical experience, and often practical experience, and often exhibit condescending attitudes exhibit condescending attitudes toward those with disabilities.toward those with disabilities.

3.The Historic Trends of 3.The Historic Trends of funding Disability funding Disability

ProgrammingProgramming Historically, international development efforts have Historically, international development efforts have

focused on distribution of durable medical focused on distribution of durable medical supplies (wheelchairs, etc) and centralizing the supplies (wheelchairs, etc) and centralizing the medical services into specific location.medical services into specific location.

Efforts have focused on rehabilitation of PWDs Efforts have focused on rehabilitation of PWDs (fixing their bodies) rather than putting the Social (fixing their bodies) rather than putting the Social Safety- Nets to make them productive members of Safety- Nets to make them productive members of society. society.

This approach has contributed to the historical This approach has contributed to the historical trend of institutionalizing those with disabilities, trend of institutionalizing those with disabilities,

It has created assumptions that service providers It has created assumptions that service providers should control and dictate the services provided to should control and dictate the services provided to PWDs.PWDs.

Mercy CorpsMercy CorpsMiddle East Disability Middle East Disability

Program Program Had two tracks Had two tracks Direct capacity Direct capacity

training to YWD –training to YWD –through peer through peer empowerment empowerment training training

Integrating YWD in Integrating YWD in most programs.most programs.

Main Goal- Main Goal- Decentralization of Decentralization of services.services.

Direct Capacity TrainingDirect Capacity Training In Iraq, through small grants, the PWDs In Iraq, through small grants, the PWDs

implemented the following projectsimplemented the following projects Small home infrastructure modification Small home infrastructure modification

Remodeling restrooms and ramping housesRemodeling restrooms and ramping houses The DPO did the assessment and the bidding and The DPO did the assessment and the bidding and

oversaw the entire project oversaw the entire project Imagine how empowering it is for a youth to use a Imagine how empowering it is for a youth to use a

restroom independently !restroom independently ! DPO implemented an education project to DPO implemented an education project to

teach those with severe disabilitiesteach those with severe disabilities DPOs did an awareness campaign on DPOs did an awareness campaign on

bedsores bedsores

Employment of PWDsEmployment of PWDs It is not easy to hire qualified PWDs.It is not easy to hire qualified PWDs. The Education System in MENA excludes The Education System in MENA excludes

PWD. Or is not accommodating PWD. Or is not accommodating In order to even begin to talk about In order to even begin to talk about

Employment of YWDs, you have to address Employment of YWDs, you have to address this practice. this practice.

Having policy is not good enough. MENA Having policy is not good enough. MENA needs to develop program in this area.needs to develop program in this area.

Employment of PWD Employment of PWD slide 2slide 2

Mercy Corps- has made it a commitment Mercy Corps- has made it a commitment to hire PWDs in the region. to hire PWDs in the region.

3 out of the 5 country offices have PWDs 3 out of the 5 country offices have PWDs working full time.working full time.

The argument of not finding qualified The argument of not finding qualified PWDs to work in the field is an excuse!PWDs to work in the field is an excuse!

The 3 offices that hired PWDs did it The 3 offices that hired PWDs did it because there was a Commitment by the because there was a Commitment by the Country Director to do so. Country Director to do so.

The Value in Hiring The Value in Hiring YWDsYWDs

In order to Fund programs for YWDs, In order to Fund programs for YWDs, you have to get to know our issues and you have to get to know our issues and feel comfortable with our culture. feel comfortable with our culture.

Hiring local PWDs can help you break Hiring local PWDs can help you break those cultural barriers. those cultural barriers.

This will create stronger sustainable This will create stronger sustainable disability programs; and help create a disability programs; and help create a culture of diversity that is needed in culture of diversity that is needed in the Middle East. the Middle East.

Mainstreaming ProjectsMainstreaming Projects Conflict and Medication training- Conflict and Medication training-

Leaders that included PWD. Leaders that included PWD. As a result, we found out that a lot of As a result, we found out that a lot of

elected official had PWD family members.elected official had PWD family members. People became more willing to talk about People became more willing to talk about

PWD issues.PWD issues. The disability community is very diverse The disability community is very diverse

there is a lot of internal feud among the there is a lot of internal feud among the different disability groups, they should different disability groups, they should be included in such training. be included in such training.

ConnectivityConnectivity All our internet café’s are physically All our internet café’s are physically

accessible.accessible. In Lebanon this became a hanging out In Lebanon this became a hanging out

for YWDs. for YWDs. In Syria, we allocated some travel funds In Syria, we allocated some travel funds

so we can assist pwd to come to training so we can assist pwd to come to training held in these computer centers. held in these computer centers.

In Iraq- We used these centers to teach In Iraq- We used these centers to teach parents of the deaf sign language. parents of the deaf sign language.

Infrastructure Infrastructure Our engineers in Iraq have been trained Our engineers in Iraq have been trained

on the ADAAG because there is plenty of on the ADAAG because there is plenty of technical information on the internet on technical information on the internet on this Code.this Code. PWDs were paid to evaluate the Accessibility PWDs were paid to evaluate the Accessibility

standards during construction projects.standards during construction projects. In Jordan, I found a capable disabled In Jordan, I found a capable disabled

Architect Designer that I would have Architect Designer that I would have liked to use for our Accessibility liked to use for our Accessibility Education project.Education project.

Distribution of NFIDistribution of NFI Keep in mind that most YWDs live in Keep in mind that most YWDs live in

isolation. We went to their home isolation. We went to their home and did individual assessment using and did individual assessment using ILP. ILP.

Recommendations and Recommendations and ConclusionsConclusions

Promote Inclusion by having PWD Promote Inclusion by having PWD input at all input at all levels of program developmentlevels of program development by making sure that funding is going to YWDs, not just for by making sure that funding is going to YWDs, not just for

services, but also for management, logistics, staffing, etc.services, but also for management, logistics, staffing, etc. HIRE PWDs; and work with your partners to help HIRE PWDs; and work with your partners to help

them adhere to the local Employment Quotas. them adhere to the local Employment Quotas. Its especially crucial to establish personal rapport Its especially crucial to establish personal rapport

directly with individuals with disabilities. Not just directly with individuals with disabilities. Not just government run organizations. government run organizations. Learn about the Micro Economic Politics of Disability in Learn about the Micro Economic Politics of Disability in

MENA MENA

Recommendations and Recommendations and ConclusionsConclusions

Grants to fund disability programs, should Grants to fund disability programs, should be quantify by the be quantify by the number of servicesnumber of services provided not by the # of provided not by the # of individuals being individuals being servedserved. .

Serves should focus on individual needs and Serves should focus on individual needs and not on any centralized service providers to not on any centralized service providers to avoid institutionalization.avoid institutionalization.

Fund Safety-net programs to integrate Fund Safety-net programs to integrate PWDs in mainstream development projects.PWDs in mainstream development projects.

Use your economic power to and try to Use your economic power to and try to change Local Attitudes! change Local Attitudes!

Use your economic power to let Use your economic power to let the Attitudinal Wall Barrier the Attitudinal Wall Barrier

come tumble down!come tumble down!THANK YOU.THANK YOU.