AAMAL – Syrian Organisation for the Disabled

1. AAMAL – Syrian Organisation for the Disabled A New Day … A New HopeDamascus, 16 July 2006

2. Contents • A. Disabilities are a serious problem in Syria • B. Our vision, approach and activities • C. Our plans for the near future

3. A. Disabilities are a serious problem in Syria

4. Disabilities concern us all!

5. In Syria, the reported number of disabled persons is ominously small with 0.6% of the overall population • Registered disabled individuals in Syria • 111,420 • Registered disabled individuals • 17,793,000 • Total Syrian population • = • 0.64% • Official share of disabled Syrian population or per 5’000 registered disabled individuals (Source: Central Bureau of Statistics)

6. In contrast, the World Health Organization estimates that approximately 9% of the world’s population is disabled Disability worldwide • Share of disabled population worldwide • Distribution of disability degree • Syria is home to many more disa-bled individuals than registered • Significant improvements can be achieved with relatively little effort for 90% of disabled individuals Disabled Not disabled Source: World Health Organization

7. A disability is the result of individual and external factors – dealing with it requires a comprehensive approach WHO disability definition • Disability is any restriction or lack of ability to perform an activity in the manner or within the range considered normal for a human being. • It is the outcome or result of a complex relationship between: 1 • Individual's health condition 2 • Personal factors 3 • External factors that represent the circumstances in which the individual lives Source: World Health Organization

8. Syria has started to address the needs of the disabled – but the remaining challenges are innumerous • Actions taken in Syria • Remaining challenges • National law 34/2004 to protect the rights of persons with disabilities issued • Higher Council for the Disabled1) was established to • Support policy making • Formulate a national plan of action • Make recommendations to the President of the Higher Council, His Excellency, the Prime Minister • Implement law 34/2004 • Increasing numbers of NGOs in Syria to address disabilities • Insufficient scientific data and statistics on prevalence and nature of disabilities in Syria • Insufficient facilities to attend to disabled individuals, in quantity and quality • Insufficient professional skills and expertise in the field of disabilities • Insufficient representation of disabled individuals’ interests • Insufficient knowledge and awareness within the Syrian population regarding needs and rights of disabled individuals • Insufficient Syrian legislation for disabled persons 1) Members include representatives from the Ministries of Health, Higher Education, Education, Social Affairs and Labor; and from NGOs working in the field of disabilities

9. B. Our vision, approach and activities

10. Our vision is to improve the life of individuals with disabilities in Syria Empoweredindividuals with disabilities living life in full

11. Our mission builds on several core elements • We strive to make a difference to the lives of individuals with disabilities bybuilding knowledge and awareness, securing treatment and rehabilitation, and advocating social inclusion. • In doing so, • we act as a catalyst for change • we pursue anintegrated approach • we partner with others to achieve the broadest impact

12. To implement our vision, we pursue five activity pillars – thereby, cooperation is a core principle AAMAL SYRIAN ORGANISATION FOR THE DISABLED 1 2 3 4 5 • Postgraduate education and training • Treatment and rehabilitation facilities • Clinical research and statistics • Social awareness and knowledge • Governmental • advocacy COOPERATION and NETWORKING Current main activity fields of AAMAL

13. 1 2 POSTGRADUATE TRAINING AND TREATMENT FACILITIES To date, we have created a new Masters program and trained approx. 40 therapists that currently treat 140 patients • Postgraduate training and education • Treatment and rehabilitation facilities • 19 speech language pathologists graduated, currently attending clinical training year • 20 specialists for special education in blindness, autism and teaching of the deaf will graduate in 2007 • Additionally, we have conductednumerous postgraduate training courses for autism supporting team, and various seminars and workshops to ensure continuous professional development • Creation of a state-of-the-art treatment and rehabilitation center for speech and hearing • Our clients so far • 142 in treatment • 97 successfully treated • Long waiting list • Establishment of a center for autism – currently in the soft opening phase

14. 1 2 POSTGRADUATE TRAINING AND TREATMENT FACILITIES The creation of our center was a major step for us – we started with bricks, mortar and a lot of enthusiasm … • Constructing • the gatehouse • Our Center for • Speech and Hearing • Installing • our name

15. Resource center 1 2 POSTGRADUATE TRAINING AND TREATMENT FACILITIES … and the conviction that the center must provide the best equipment and environment for successful treatment and rehabilitation • State-of-the-art technology • Treatment rooms to international ASHA standards

16. 3 4 5 RESEARCH, AWARENESS, AND ADVOCACY At the same time, we have been active in research, building social awareness and governmental advocacy • Clinical research and statistics • Social awareness and knowledge • Governmental • advocacy • We have developed the facilities and professional skills to conduct research • We provided statistics on hearing loss in intellectually impaired individuals in co-operation with Malmö University • We organized the national conference on intellectual disability together with International Special Olympics • We sponsored the Healthy Athletes training and screening for the Special Olympics in 2006 • We cooperate with the Ministries of Health and Higher Education in the area of postgraduate education and training • We representNGOs in the National Higher Council for the Disabled • We advocate the Syrian legislation for disabled

17. C. Our plans for the near future

18. By 2010, we aim to have a significant operation in place • Our way forward • Our focus for treatment and rehabilitation • International top quality standards and accreditation • Comprehen-sive treatment approach • Growth to approx. 200 specialists and trainers • Regional di-versification – duplication of Damascus Center • Speech and Hearing • Blindness • Autism

19. We strive to become a center of excellence in our sector • Certified training courses 1 6 2 • Network of recognized and committed partner • State-of-the-art treatment and rehabilitation process and facilities • Established govern-mental advocacy activities 5 3 • Acknowledged research hub 4 • Effective social awareness builder

20. 1 POSTGRADUATE EDUCATION AND TRAINING We will do more training programs; established and new ones • In 2007, we start two new master programs in speech-language pathology and in audiology Basic training • Thereby, we cooperate with Damascus University and Brigham Young University • We will take up additional master programs in the near future for new specializations Specialization & Certification • Our students will be accredited by internationally recognized certification (ASHA) starting in 2007 Capacity building in Syria Refreshers & Seminars • We will conduct fellowship training years; for current graduates it will take place in 2006-2007

21. 2 TREATMENT AND REHABILITATION FACILITIES We want to improve and widen our treatment and rehabilitation activities Improving our center New center activities • We want to institute the ability to • In addition to our centers for speech and hearing, autism, and blindness, we want to • program cochlear implants at AAMAL center • take up the treatment and rehabilitation of deaf palate and deaf-blind • fit and intervene with high-end hearing aid technology • spread regionally by repli-cation of our Damascus operation More treatment and rehabilitation facilities in Syria

22. 3 RESEARCH AND STATISTICS CLINICAL RESEARCH AND STATISTICS We plan to conduct research to increase the Syrian knowledge in disabilities • National and international • cooperation • We want to become a key organisation for gathering and disseminating information and statistics about disabilities in Syria • We will conduct clinical research and design intervention strategies for individuals with disabilities. We will start with • Plato meter research • Newborn screening tests in hospitals • We will organize, participate in and sponsor professional conferences about disabilities International partners • Universities in the US, Europe and the Far East • NGOs Syrian partners • Ministries • Universities • NGOs Regional Middle East partners • Universities in Jordan, Egypt and the • Gulf Region, NGOs

23. 4 SOCIAL AWARENESS AND KNOWLEDGE We aim to increase social awareness and knowledge regarding disabilities in Syria through various channels • Information campaigns • Fostering • Professional • of media • symposiums • relationship • Promotion • Organization • of academic • of events • programs • Support of parental • and community • action groups

24. 5 GOVERNMENTALCOOPERATION GOVERNMENTAL ADVOCAY We want to join our efforts with the Syrian authorities Potential formats of governmental support • Fields where we can contribute A • We will contribute our know-how to governmental bodies to further develop the Syrian legislation and activities for disabled individuals A • Know-how contribution B • We will cooperate with government and Syrian authorities in the fields of prevention, treatment and rehabilitation • AAMAL C B C • We will offer services to the Syrian government and authorities, such as training, advice, audit, and management skills • Service provider • Operations

25. 6 COOPERATION AND NETWORKING A wide network of cooperation partners is key in fulfilling our vision and plans for the future • Brigham Young University, USA • Jordan University • Cooperation in first master in speech and hearing pathology and special education (autism, blind-ness, teach the deaf) • Support in quality control,training, and fellowship year • Further cooperation in master program for audiology, and speech and hearing, and research • Malmö University, Sweden • Damascus University • Future cooperation in master programs for special education • Joint research for 2005-2007 launched

26. To realize our goals for the future, we are constantly on the lookout for people and funds – any help is welcome • Needs • Ambassadors for AAMAL, who promote our activities • Partners, who want to work with us cooperatively • Skilled professionals, who realize our daily achievements • Volunteers, who support our mission • General and project specific donations • Cash and dedicated in-kind contributions People Funds • Needs

27. If you have any questions or would like to support AAMAL, we are happy to be in contact with you – enjoy your evening at AAMAL! ? Contact? • AAMAL – Syrian Organisation for the Disabled • Suzanne Zahredin, Executive Director • Beitara Square, Airport Highway Damascus, Syria • Tel: +963 11 543 3619 • E-mail: acsh@aamalsyria.org • Website: www.aamalsyria.org