(HCAPD – Amman) The Higher Council for the Affairs of People with Disabilities (HCAPD), on Thursday, signed an agreement with the Ministry of Social Development (MoSD) in support of the latter’s disability-related programmes. HCAPD Secretary-General, Amal Nahhas, and MoSD Secretary-General, Mohammad Khasawneh, signed the agreement.

“The Council and the ministry aim to expand and renovate the institutions overseen by the ministry by way of revamping the learning environment, staff and curriculum, all of which will reflect positively on the children, families and society,” said Nahhas. For his part, Khasawneh stressed that the partnership with the HCAPD aims to improve services for people with disabilities.   

An independent, public institution, the Council follows up on the implementation of the National Strategy for People with Disabilities and its plans and programmes of action. It also works to improve the quality of life of people with disabilities, in enabling them to lead a productive and dignified life; improving the quality of services provided to them and investing in their abilities in the best way possible.

In line with the agreement, HCAPD is to present the ministry with 165000 Jordanian Dinars, in support of the Saudi Centre for the Habilitation and Training of Women with Visual Impairments during the current year. 15 classrooms in the Al-Manar Centres for Cognitive Development, belonging to the ministry, will also be opened and fully equipped as follows: 5 in the Manar centre in Al-Ruseifa; three in the Manar centre in Koura; three in Sahab and four classrooms in the Al-Manar centre in Ma’an.

Services for 132 students in these refurbished classrooms will also be covered throughout the duration of this year. A further 350 students will be catered for in the Al-Manar Centres for Cognitive Development in each of Al-Muqabilein, the Al-Hussein Sports City, Al-Ruseifa, Ma’an, the Mafraq Centre for Training and Habilitation, and the new Al-Amal Centre.

 Services provided to the students will be developed in accordance with the standards and accreditations adopted by the Council, while field visits, in co-ordination with the ministry, will be conducted to monitor the refurbishment process within the allocated centres.