The Association of Palestinian Local Authorities (APLA) launched in cooperation and partnership with EducAid the project "Promoting the Rights of People with Disabilities in Palestine", funded by AICS with the aim of empowering, integrating and including people with disabilities and their families into the Palestinian society and its different components. The project launching ceremony was attended by 90 representatives from local authorities and civil society organizations interested in the issues of People with disabilities with the aim of introducing the project, its goals and expected outcomes, as well as presenting the self-audit tool concerning disability, in addition to presenting the selection mechanism of local authorities participating in the activities that will be implemented over the course of the period 2021-2022.
The launching ceremony was started by a representative from AICS, Ali Kaf, emphasizing the importance of decentralized cooperation between Italian and Palestinian local authorities, enhance cooperation between them and the civil society organizations, especially in issues of integration. In return, APLA's Executive Director, Eng. Abdallah Anati said that APLA seeks during the project to contribute as much as possible to promoting the rights of people with disabilities, through enhancing the capacities, capabilities and competences of local authorities in adopting and integrating the priorities of peopl with disabilities in municipal work.
Whereas, Project Coordinator from EducAid, Bayan Dairiyah, explained the main goals of the project to enhance the capacities of local authorities in relevant issues, increasing social and economic empowerment of people with disabilities. Representatives of the Palestinian Coalition of people with Disabilities, Shatha Abu Srour and Awad Obaiyat, the coalition's aspirations and the desired results from implementing the project.
Following the opening session, Project Coordinator from EducAid, Tahrir Al-Batran presented the project activities of developing the self-audit tool with regards to people with disabilities. Organizing theoretical workshops and practical trainings concerning the issues related to people with disabilities in local authorities, in addition to the contribution in the rehabilitation of some buildings of local authorities to harmonize it to the needs of persons with disabilities, and awarding the Inclusive Municipality Award after organizing a competition for local authorities with that regard.
Also, Shatha Abu Srour, representing the Coalition, gave a joint presentation with EducAid, represented by Project Coordinator, Bayan Dairiyah on the philosophy of the self-audit tool with regards to disability and the way it was drafted, in addition to the selection mechanism of local authorities in the project activities, which was done in full cooperation with APLA.
The ceremony was concluded with a joint presentation on the methodology of completing the self-audit tool, presented by researcher Ghadir Ya'ish and researcher Atheer Abu Rayyan, followed by a presentation from the Community-Based Rehabilitation Program Coordinator under the Bethlehem Arab Society for Rehabilitation, Atallah Abu Sheikhah, of success stories on the participation of people with disabilities and their integration in the action plans of municipalities and local organizations, and the challenges they face.
