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Organizations of Persons with Disabilities in the Arab Region: A Preliminary Study

Symbol: 
E/ESCWA/SDD/2015/Technical Paper.11
Issued in: 
2016

Organizations of persons with disabilities (OPDs) represent essential actors at the policy level, and play a key role in the Arab region where inclusion of persons with disabilities is a high priority for Governments and civil society alike.

The present study explores the structure, membership, and main activities of Arab OPDs in the context of the global disability movement. It reveals a significant increase in the number, scope, and impact of OPDs over recent years, particularly following the adoption of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. At the same time, further efforts are needed to better understand and harness the role of OPDs in the Arab region by involving them as leaders of ongoing development of the disability research agenda.