February 22, 2011

Developing Election Access in Amman ⁰

by Alison Ecker • For People with Disabilities, International Development & Disability • Tags: disability rights, inclusive international development, international disability organization or movement, Jordan, USAID

In Jordan, recent elections in November 2010 highlighted a measure of success for people with disabilities (PWD). For the first time, voting polls were more accessible, thanks to the effort of a national campaign called Takafo (“equality” in Arabic). Takafo is made up of disability rights activists and representatives of organizations for PWD. Below, we are sharing a video on their election success, produced by Takafo’s partner organization, Academy for Educational Development:

Jordan has been a leader among Arab states in promoting disability issues. In 1981 the Jordan Sport Federation for Persons with Disabilities was established, and in 2007 they became one of the first Arab states to develop a National Strategy for Persons with Disability (NSPD). That same year they also signed the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disability (UNCRPD), and ratified it the following year.

Currently, MIUSA is working in Jordan through the USAID-sponsored Building an Inclusive Development Community Project (BIDC) project. Read about our work in Jordan.