Persons with Disabilities Visit UNDP’s Construction Projects
Gaza
On Wednesday, 02 November 2016, the Social Developmental Forum (SDF) organized a site visit to a number of construction projects supervised by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) in Gaza and Northern Gaza. The visit which is part of the ‘Partnership for the Future’ project aimed at inspecting the suitability and responsiveness of these projects to the needs of persons with disabilities.
Representatives of institutions representing persons with disabilities; rehabilitation institutions and self-help groups, a number of persons with disabilities, media professionals and supervisors of construction projects and the education sector from UNDP participated in the visit.
During the visit, the participants reviewed the different stages of UNDP construction projects and the standards that UNDP adopts to ensure quiet enjoyment of services by persons with disabilities. Accompanied by representatives from UNDP, the participants also visited apartments in Al Ferdaws residential compound project in northern Gaza as well as Shams Al-Amal School for Persons with Disabilities in Gaza City.
SDF’s Program Manager Mahmoud Zant explained that the site visit is a part of efforts exerted to enhance social responsibility and accountability in relation to the issues of concern to persons with disabilities. “We need a step forward to more open discussions, exchange of clearer information and discussion of the needs of persons with disabilities as well as the needs of the other different sectors,” Zant noted.
Zant also explained that the visit is an output of a previous workshop that addressed standards adopted in reconstruction projects in terms of suitability to the needs of persons with disabilities. He noted that the workshop was aimed at evaluating the existing reconstruction projects in terms of their suitability to persons with disability as well as at introducing recommendations made directly by persons with disabilities to be taken into account in future reconstruction projects. “We should all work together to ensure that persons with disabilities who are an important part of the Palestinian society enjoy their right. We greatly value UNDP’s response to make the visit a success,” Zant added.
Mohammad Qasem, Project Coordinator- Housing Social Infrastructure, UNDP, said that the needs are generally greater than the available resources. “In reconstruction projects, UNDP adopts standards that respect the needs of persons with disabilities mainly in services projects. This tour is mainly important because it presents notes and recommendations that will be taken into consideration in ongoing and future projects.”
The visit was concluded by a panel discussion in which participants presented their comments and asked UNDP representatives about some technical standards and projects’ aspirations for the future. The participants praised the significant attention that UNDP pays to the needs of persons with disabilities.