In a letter addressed to Prime Minister Marouf Bakhit on Wednesday, His Majesty King Abdullah underlined the importance of providing the disabled with the care and attention they need to maintain decent living standards.

The King stressed that providing care to this segment of society was a national duty and a right enshrined in international human rights agreements and the Millennium Development Goals, adding that it is a measure used to gauge the advancement of nations.

In spite of the country's achievements in providing care and support to people with disabilities, especially in the fields of education, legislation and health, according to current indicators, some centers and societies and the programmes they offer lack a clear philosophy and vision that facilitate integrating this segment into society, the King said in his letter.

“During my meetings with citizens in governorates, the badia and camps in the recent past, I sensed that many of those with disabilities and their families suffer morally, psychologically and materially, due to the weakness of the services offered to them and activities geared towards this segment, which is a basic part of society,” King Abdullah said.

The King, who issued directives for the formulation of a national strategy for the disabled, said it would address the loopholes by creating a national database on the people with disabilities in the country. It will also determine the challenges they face, address them and suggest solutions for overcoming them.

He added that a Royal committee will determine the cost of implementing the strategy, set a timeframe for its execution and determine the tasks of the concerned authorities.

“To ensure the success of the committee's work, we direct the government and all public and private institutions to extend all forms of support for the committee's efforts in setting the strategy,” King Abdullah said in the letter.

The Jordan Times