April 2025

The policy brief "Inclusive community development for persons with disabilities: from a medical approach to inclusion and participation" proposes a radical change in supporting persons with disabilities in the Arab region. Services provided to this community group are still medically oriented, thus depriving millions of its members of full participation in their communities. Most of the resources are also directed to traditional institutions that serve small numbers of persons with disabilities, and very few resources are allocated to the development of inclusive and sustainable programmes that ensure independent living and effective participation.

Given the resulting wide gap between ambitious legislation and reality, the proposed policy calls for the reallocation of resources towards building inclusive environments for persons with disabilities, by supporting independent livelihoods, removing institutional and behavioural barriers, and promoting sustainable education and employment opportunities.