Thursday, September 29, 2005
Being physically challenged in Jordan
It is cute, isn't it? I got this for JD1. I was having a cup of coffee in Shmesani district when a girl in her early twenties was passing cards on tables with ASL stuff on it, saying that she is deaf and you could have this cute gift for JD1 card, in Arabic and English. She placed the teddy bear along with the card on the table and went on to other tables.So thoughts started crossing my mind. I mean the girl was really pretty, well dressed, carrying a North Face messenger bag, dressed as any typical western student. She’s a blond with green eyes, fair complex and a fit body, she looks French in appearance, does not mean she might not be Jordanian. Her face was drawn and haggard from sleeplessness,she had a sad look. Many thoughts were rushing, and I had to think really fast wither to pay her or not before she returns back to my table. I mean why can’t she get a job instead of doing this, she’s a sane healthy person, then I thought, well in Jordan it might be hard for a physically challenged person to find a suitable job, people being the main problem as they are not understanding, that is when I caught one of the guys at the table in front of me looking at her inappropriately while her back was turned, with a stupid smirk on his ugly face. Of course, she won’t be able to notice. I was outraged to see someone taking advantage of her. He really made me sad. May god forgive him, and bless his poor soul.
We have great local organizations offering many services to the physically disabled persons and their families. Most notably, The Al-Hussein Society for the Habilitation/Rehabilitation of the Physically Challenged, and The Holy Land Institute for Deaf.
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It is pretty sad. wallah my heart aches when I see how unprepared this country is for the physically challenged.
I agree. I mean, thinking of it, I have not seen much buildings that are accessible for people who use wheelchair in Amman, of course with the excpetion of hotels,hospitals, and some stores.
Now should I come over employment projects? Have you ever seen the empty land in Abdoun area, near the Israeli embassy, with all the shacks, that are thrown there?These where supposed to be given to people with disabilities to start their own buisness. Today, there are only 4 shacks in "Shar3 Thaqafeh" , when they gonna distribute the rest?
Now should I come over employment projects? Have you ever seen the empty land in Abdoun area, near the Israeli embassy, with all the shacks, that are thrown there?These where supposed to be given to people with disabilities to start their own buisness. Today, there are only 4 shacks in "Shar3 Thaqafeh" , when they gonna distribute the rest?
The ADA ( Americans with Disabilities Act) is not very new in the US...just 15 years old. Hopefully Jordan will start implementing similar requirements that businesses and housing developments must adhere to.
# posted by 
: Friday, September 30, 2005 6:23:00 PM
: Friday, September 30, 2005 6:23:00 PM
I was once searching in the drawers of my dad's bedside table for some thing or other. I find stacks of those ASL cards even though I had lectured him endlessly against buying them. I don't understand why people feel compelled to give away 1JD to these deaf peddlers.
As a member of the deaf community (more a member of the deaf American community than the Jordanian one although I have made lots of deaf contacts in Jordan now at the Holy Land Institute of the Deaf (HLID), Jordan University and elsewhere), I urge people not to buy into this form of "charity." Most deaf peddlers are not deaf. This is not only the case in Jordan but also in the US and worldwide. A friend of my brother's was a student at Jordan University. He was being followed by such a deaf peddler even though he kept shooing him away. When the peddler wouldn't budge, the friend muttered "k*s ummak" under his breath, which started a fight. Had the peddler really been deaf... well, it turned out he wasn't.
As you noted, there are places where deaf people can get trained to get real jobs. They are no less unfortunate than most poor people in Jordan. In fact, if you visit the facilities at some of these organizations, you'd realize how much more opportunities they have than the rest of society. These organizations are funded by foreign donors (most Europeans). Do poor Jordanians have access to such organizations? I'm inclined to think they don't although I'm not sure.
Besides, if she really wanted to raise awareness of deaf issues, shouldn't the card have Arabic/Jordanian sign language "stuff" on it instead of ASL stuff? Talk about imperialism. Bottom line: If you want to help out, give your money directly to the organizations you linked to, not to the peddlers. (You could even donate that cute teddy bear to them!) Give them a card with contact information to these organizations instead of taking their cards.
Here's the link to the HLID: http://www.allah-kariem.org/
As a member of the deaf community (more a member of the deaf American community than the Jordanian one although I have made lots of deaf contacts in Jordan now at the Holy Land Institute of the Deaf (HLID), Jordan University and elsewhere), I urge people not to buy into this form of "charity." Most deaf peddlers are not deaf. This is not only the case in Jordan but also in the US and worldwide. A friend of my brother's was a student at Jordan University. He was being followed by such a deaf peddler even though he kept shooing him away. When the peddler wouldn't budge, the friend muttered "k*s ummak" under his breath, which started a fight. Had the peddler really been deaf... well, it turned out he wasn't.
As you noted, there are places where deaf people can get trained to get real jobs. They are no less unfortunate than most poor people in Jordan. In fact, if you visit the facilities at some of these organizations, you'd realize how much more opportunities they have than the rest of society. These organizations are funded by foreign donors (most Europeans). Do poor Jordanians have access to such organizations? I'm inclined to think they don't although I'm not sure.
Besides, if she really wanted to raise awareness of deaf issues, shouldn't the card have Arabic/Jordanian sign language "stuff" on it instead of ASL stuff? Talk about imperialism. Bottom line: If you want to help out, give your money directly to the organizations you linked to, not to the peddlers. (You could even donate that cute teddy bear to them!) Give them a card with contact information to these organizations instead of taking their cards.
Here's the link to the HLID: http://www.allah-kariem.org/
Laui : Hopefuly it will start soon here! Thanks for the comment
Kickers : Where have u been? :D , that was well written.
Well I do agree on some points. It is true that there is no excuse for them to be doing this. Though in Jordan I thought it might be hard for them to find a job, as I have no real knowledge of the career opportunities these institutions offer for the deaf.
I don't regret paying her the JD 1 in her case for many considerations.
Anyways, I'm looking forward to read your Blog , wish you best of luck
Kickers : Where have u been? :D , that was well written.
Well I do agree on some points. It is true that there is no excuse for them to be doing this. Though in Jordan I thought it might be hard for them to find a job, as I have no real knowledge of the career opportunities these institutions offer for the deaf.
I don't regret paying her the JD 1 in her case for many considerations.
Anyways, I'm looking forward to read your Blog , wish you best of luck
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