Berlin: Minister of Social Development Wafa Bani Mustafa confirmed during Thursday’s “Strategic Direction for Shelter Alternatives for Persons with Disabilities” side session that Jordan has made a strategic change to replace residential care with community-based inclusive services, based on its commitment to the rights of people with disabilities and its approach to international conventions.
According to Jordan News Agency, Bani Mustafa, speaking at the Third Global Disability Summit in Berlin, reviewed laws and policies aimed at advancing the rights of people with disabilities, noting that the Kingdom ratified the International Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in 2008. She highlighted the launch of the National Strategy for Shelter Alternatives, which focuses on three types of shelter alternatives: group homes, alternative families, and family integration. This strategy also promotes the development of integrated day centers and early intervention centers, providing training and rehabilitation services through these facilities. The system emphasizes the creation of acceptable accommodations for people with disabilities and the importance of collaboration with civil society organizations during this transition.
Bani Mustafa also discussed the Shelter Alternatives Regulation No. 62 of 2021, which provides financial support to families to assist people with disabilities. This regulation aims to offer an inclusive daycare system that includes early intervention, training, rehabilitation, support services, family counseling, and peer support. It marks a significant step toward a care economy, advocating for training and rehabilitation programs to help families manage their children’s needs and encouraging partnerships with civil society organizations to facilitate change.
She further explained the initiation of a ten-year plan for the transition to inclusive services, stressing that residential care must be replaced by inclusive daytime services, as stipulated by Article 27 of the Law on Persons with Disabilities. The regulation also prohibits issuing new permits for shelters or granting licenses to expand their capacity.
The Third Global Disability Summit, hosted by the German and Jordanian governments along with the International Disability Alliance, concluded in Berlin, Germany, after a two-day event.