Jerusalem, April 27, 2024
The Bayt Mal Al-Quds Al-Sharif Agency, operating under the personal supervision of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, Chairman of the Al-Quds Committee, organized on Friday the third annual forum for persons with disabilities in Jerusalem. The event was held under the slogan: “Improving the Quality of Life: A Collective Responsibility.”
Twelve organizations participated in the forum, which coincided with the annual Day for Persons with Disabilities in Jerusalem, observed each year on April 12. Approximately 200 individuals with disabilities and their companions attended, along with officials from various shelter centers in the Holy City.
In a speech delivered on behalf of the agency’s acting director, Muhammad Salem Al-Sharqawi, by Ismail Al-Ramli, the agency’s programs and projects coordinator in Jerusalem, emphasized the forum’s role in streamlining support for a broad array of institutions, particularly those in the rehabilitation sector.
Al-Sharqawi also discussed the agency’s new directions, aimed at aligning with the changing circumstances in Jerusalem. He highlighted the agency’s efforts to integrate technological advancements to achieve its 2024 vision under the motto “Digital Development in the Service of Economic and Social Development in Jerusalem.” This vision includes projects in mental health, digital initiatives for youth, and support for productive projects in Jerusalem’s villages and the Old City as well as other annual programs.
The forum featured several presentations: social researcher Hala Ali discussed “The Reality of the Rehabilitation Sector in Jerusalem”; psychologist Dima Alaa El-Din presented on “Building Bridges of Psychological Care: Strengthening Institutional Support for People of Determination in Jerusalem Society”; and social worker Bilal Odeh addressed “Psychiatric Health in Jerusalem: Reality, Challenges, and Development Prospects.”
Participants also viewed a presentation on rehabilitation institutions in Jerusalem, prepared by the agency’s Rabat Observatory for Observation, Tracking, and Evaluation. Success stories of persons with disabilities, including Wijdan Al-Fakhouri, Rawan Shuqair, and Adel Al-Jaabari, were highlighted.
Al-Ramli also announced support and financing for specific projects, benefiting the Arab Blind Association in the Old City, the Nour al-Ain Association for the Blind in Shuafat, the Arab Orthodox Charitable Shelter, and the wheelchair basketball team at the Burj Al-Laqlaq Community Center.
The forum concluded with recommendations to support Palestinian institutions in Jerusalem, promote local alternative financing, gather necessary data on civil institutions, including rehabilitation institutions in Jerusalem, and the reality of persons with disabilities and their access to services. It also emphasized the need to foster innovations and ideas to improve the quality of life for people with disabilities and their families, addressing their challenges, and advancing relevant research.
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