“ Aamal” Organization held a festivity marking the International Day of Persons with Disabilities

The International Day of Persons with Disabilities (IDPD) is a UN day that is celebrated every year on the 3rd ofDecember.  The day is about promoting the rights and well-being of persons with disabilities at every level of society and development and to raise awareness about the situation of persons with disabilities in all aspects of political , social, economic and culture life so they can participate fully, equally and effectively in society with others and face no barriers in all aspects of their lives.

The Syrian Organization for Persons with Disabilities “Aamal” in Damascus has recently held a festivity under the title “ A Day for us..An Opportunity for All” markingthe International Day of Persons with Disabilities, which falls  on Friday.  

The event included  a theatrical and artistic performance with the participation of children from the Autism Center and the Educational Center for Hearing Impairment.

The performances aimed to provide a chance  to express the talents and abilities of the children with special needs and enhance their self-confidence.

The cultural celebration also included an art exhibition entitled “ My Hope is Tomorrow”   through which the paintings of children with disabilities embodying the image of the future they dream of . A film was also screened on Aamal’s achievements for the year 2021 as well as academic programs in Syrian universities to form a rehabilitation team that works with persons with disabilities in different fields including  speech , audiology, therapy. Psychomotor and prosthetics . 

In a speech during the celebration, the representative of the Board of Trustees of the “Aamal” Organization, Dr. Ali Turkmani, said that the organization is completing the rehabilitation team in cooperation with the University of Damascus with a future plan to increase the number of specialists. 

He added  the organization is also working  in cooperation with the Ministry of Education, the necessary standards and frameworks for the integration of children with disabilities in schools and qualifying the  teachers and the infrastructure within a national project very soon . 

Regarding Aamal’s achievements for the year 2021, Turkmani indicated that 623 hearing aids were secured in cooperation with the World Health Organization for 343 beneficiaries, 2500 people were served at the Audio Investigations Center, 3600 psychomotor sessions were provided and 45 children were rehabilitated at the autism center . 

The festivity was concluded by honoring five students with hearing disabilities who obtained a certificate of basic education and honoring school principals and teachers who provided them with academic support.

In turn , Minister of Education Dr. Darem Tabbaa indicated that “integrating children with special needs into schools is a successful experience and we hope to expand it” , pointing to the continuation of work to make all schools a healthy environment for these children.

It is worth to mention that the Syrian Organization for Persons with Disabilities “Aamal”   is a civil and non-profit organization and  was established in 2002. It seeks to provide rehabilitation services and a supportive environment for persons with disabilities to provide them with fair opportunities to enable their effective and independent participation in all aspects of life, according to international standards and under the supervision of international experts.

Rawaa Ghanam