Accessibility: Disability And The Law

The Rights of Disabled Persons Law Number 20 of 2017 (the "Law"), effective from 30th August 2017, repeals and replaces the previous law issued in 2007. The Law introduces a robust legislation offering rights and protection to disabled persons in education, healthcare and workplace, amongst other things. The Law also emphasises the importance of raising public awareness of the rights of the disabled.

For the purposes of the Law, a person is deemed to be disabled if he/she has a long-term incapacity (i.e. a disability lasting for a minimum of 24 months from treatment or rehabilitation) in physical, sensual, mental, psychological or neurological functions resulting in preventing that person from performing basic life activities or exercising their rights and basic freedoms independently.

In order for the disabled persons with long-term incapacity to enjoy the protections and rights granted by the Law, they must be Jordanian citizens and obtain an "identification card" that encompasses personal identification as well as details pertaining to the disability, its nature and degree. These protections and rights include the following:

Education

Every disabled person is entitled to education. As such, the Law prohibits any educational institution from excluding any individual based on, or due to, their disability. In the event an educational institution fails to accommodate to the needs of disabled persons, including but not limited to accessibility and availability of Braille, the Ministry of Education shall be obliged to offer such persons with alternative solutions or institutions.

Additionally, the Ministry of Education (in association with the Higher Council for the Rights of Disabled Persons (the "Council")) has, inter alia, the following responsibilities:

Incorporating the educational requirements for disabled persons into public policies, strategies and educational programmes; Acceptance and integration of disabled persons in educational institutions; Providing accessibility solutions in public educational institutions, and ensuring that private educational institutions provide the same. The Ministry of Education shall not license any private educational institution which fail to offer such solutions; and Revising educational curricula and integrating awareness on the rights of disabled persons and their inclusion in society. The Law further incentivises the involvement of disabled persons in education by setting a cap to the fees for...