Raising awareness on the rights of persons with disabilities and developing capacities to mainstream disability in the State of Palestine

The proposed programme aims to raise awareness on the rights of persons with disabilities and develop capacities to mainstream disability in the education, health, employment, and social sectors in the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt) in compliance with the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD).

In the past, most programmes for persons with disabilities have been charitable and needs-based in character and segregated in their approach; this programme prepares the ground for future interventions to be rights-based and inclusive.

The goal of the programme is to strengthen the respect for the human rights of persons with disabilities through legislation, services, and social and economic empowerment in compliance with the Palestinian Disability Law and the CRPD. This will be achieved through a close partnership between government ministries, UN agencies, international donors, Disabled Persons Organisations (DPOs), and other key stakeholders.

The three main outcomes of this programme:

1) Legislation, policies and practices of six key ministries[i] are reviewed for compliance with the CRPD and the Palestinian Disability Law, focusing on health, education and livelihood.

2) Equal opportunities are created for children with disabilities in selected pilot schools (selected by the MoE) – As a first example of good practice

3) Access to job creation programmes and business development schemes for women and men with disabilities is improved – As a second example of good practice

The programme partners recognise that women and girls with disabilities are subject to multiple and overlapping forms of discrimination, and will therefore take all appropriate measures to ensure their full participation in all programme activities.

[i] Ministry of Education, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Higher Education, Ministry of Labour, Ministry of Local Government, and Ministry of Social Affairs