A workshop on trends and indicators of disability in Lebanon and the Occupied Palestinian Territory

Under the Patronage of the Palestinian Ambassador to Lebanon, Dr. Abdullah Abdullah, the Center for Development Studies at BZU held a workshop on "Trends and indicators of disability in Lebanon and the Palestinian territories," in cooperation with the Lebanese Demographic Institution, and in partnership with the Palestinian Disability Authority on 8 March 2011 in Beirut, Lebanon, supported by the Palestinian Women's Research and Documentation Center (UNESCO).

The workshop aimed at discussing the findings of the two studies prepared by the Center on the status of disability in the Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon and the occupied Palestinian territories, and a study on the status of disability in the occupied Palestinian territories.

Following the opening addresses, Ms. Mona Musa presented the findings of the study on the status of disability in the Palestinian camps in Lebanon, then Mr. Ayman Abdel-Majeed, presented the findings of the study on the status of disability in the occupied territories, then Dr. Mi'dad Rahhal from the Lebanese University presented the findings of his study (prepared in 2009), in which he provided a comparison between the status of disability in the Palestinian camps and the status of disability in Lebanon.

Ms. Tagreed Awad from UNRWA commented on the study regarding the Lebanese refugee camps, valuing the efforts of BZU. She presented UNRWA's vision regarding the findings of the study, through the development of new programs at the community and family levels.

There was an open discussion in which the attendees emphasized the importance of the findings of the two studies, and the need to draw recommendations to be adopted by the concerned institutions.

The workshop was attended by many institutions and the media, such as the Welfare Cooperation, Palestinian Disability Authority, UNRWA, the Norwegian People's Aid, Thabit organization, the Arab Rescue Organization, etc...and many concerned Palestinian and Lebanese academics