The Current Situation of Persons with Disabilities in Jordan

Abstract

This helpdesk research report presents recent data on the state of persons with disabilities (PWD) in Jordan, including data on access to basic services; the political, social, cultural, and economic context for persons with disabilities; and laws and policies relevant to the rights of persons with disabilities. It also considers the situation for Syrian refugees with disabilities with regards to the above themes. The current official estimate of disability prevalence is 13 percent of the population, amounting to over 1,100,000 people. The 2004 census from Jordan reported a disability prevalence rate of 1.23 percent. In 2007 the prevalence rate was estimated to be 1.9 percent, with 41 percent of persons with disabilities being female. Prevalence figures for disability in the Arab region have historically been far lower than the global disability prevalence rate, which is estimated by the World Health Organization to be 15 percent.