disability rights

Asmaa Al-Khalili’s dream of completing her education is hindered by a second-floor classroom, old roads, narrow alleys and public transportation that is not adapted for people who use the wheelchair like she does.

Asmaa is eighteen years old living with a physical disability. At the age of seven years old, she was diagnosed with muscular dystrophy, leading her to gradually lose her ability to move, and by the age of twelve she was unable to walk. She tried to complete her education, but the school did not answer her request to move classes she attends to the ground floor level leading her education journey to be cut abruptly before starting her eighth grade.

When she lost the ability to walk, Asmaa was confined to her home in Al-Aratfeh, in “Al-Jabal Al Janoubi” area, part of Al-Russeifa of Al-Zarqa govrnorate in Jordan where public transportation adapted for people with disabilities does not exist.

Asmaa says, “Public transportation does not serve me, and I don’t think about using it,” instead she relies on private transportation, which adds a financial burden she cannot afford often, “in some areas private transportation costs could be five or sixfold,” She adds.

Public transportation does not serve me, and I don’t think about using it"

Ayat, on the other hand, is more fortunate as she has been able to finish her university studies because a bus adapted for people with disabilities passes near her ​​residential area in Yajouz in Al-Zarqa governorate, and it stops at the university gate.

Ayat is a twenty-seven years old born with one leg shorter than the other, and had to give up her ambition to work after graduation, as she is usually challenged if she had to use public transportation vehicles that are not modified to accommodate people with mobility problems.

“Sometimes, the idea of training in Amman after I finish studying at the university crosses my mind, but I am quickly dissuaded from the idea because the buses are in a terrible shape. So, I avoid even considering training.”

She adds that “Sometimes the step into the bus is a little too high and it is not flat. It is wobbly and I cannot balance myself.”

A big segment of people with disabilities and those who have physical difficulties in the governorates of Irbid and AL-Zarqa share Asmaa’s and Ayat’s concerns despite the fact that half of the country’s public buses are registered in these two governorates.

Half of internal bus lines in cities are in Irbid and Al-Zarqa

Percentage of busses of the total number of busses in the kingdom


Source: Annual Report by the Jordanian Ministry of Transport (2019)

The suffering continues wherever you go

Persons with physical disabilities constitute about 13% of the population in Jordan, and most of them live in urban areas.

The latest census that monitored the percentage of people with disabilities in the country shows that around 40% of people with disabilities in Jordan live in the Al-Zarqa and Irbid governorates.

Thirty-five-year-old Safaa Al-Abbasi, a resident of Hofa in Irbid governorate also suffered due to the lack of adapted buses in the area which led her to abandon the dream of pursuing a diploma program.

Safaa, who was born with both her feet amputated, had received a scholarship to join the program, but she did not enrol as the course required her to travel between her village and the city of Irbid and paying large sums of money for private transportation.

“I was not able to attend the diploma program, due to the double cost of transportation as unfortunately, there is no adapted means of transportation for me.” She says.

I was not able to attend the diploma program, due to the double cost of transportation as unfortunately, there is no adapted means of transportation for me.”

Around 40% of people with physical disabilities live in Irbid and Zarqa

Percentage of People with Physical Disabilities in the Governorates of the Total People with Disabilities


General Population and Housing Census 2015 - Department of Statistics in Jordan

Abdullah Omar lives in Al-Russeifa in Al- Zarqa governorate, and despite his physical disability, he has been trying to challenge himself to pursue his university studies while working. But the absence of adapted public transportation sometimes makes him miss university classes or be late for work.

Abdullah lives in the city and moves around in his wheelchair and finds it difficult to use public buses.

He says, “I try to stop the Mini buses (known as Coaster), but unfortunately, they are all speeding by and in a rush to get another load of passengers. Stopping to board someone with a disability would take time and would delay the loading and unloading process.”



Convincing drivers to stop is not Abdullah’s biggest challenge; he also has to wait for someone to help him to get on the bus.

Abdullah prefers to use other means of transportation, such as private taxis although they are more costly compared to buses. He explained that it is a challenge for him to use public transportation, especially that the only two buses adapted for persons with disabilities do not run at a set schedule or timeline.

Public transportation companies that own twenty buses must provide two buses with at least one seat each for people with disabilities.

Caption: Illustration showing the number of buses adapted for people with disabilities

Poor service standards in a fragmented sector

We went to Al-Zarqa central station in search of buses adapted for people with disabilities, but we were disappointed. When we enquired, we were told that the two buses might have headed to Amman, as those buses never operated according to a specific schedule.

Vehicles or infrastructure is not suitable for people with limited mobility in Jordan. Additionally, a study published earlier this year by the World Bank Group reveals that people with physical disabilities do not have access to public transportation due to financial reasons.

The Jordan Public Transport Diagnostic and Recommendations report points out also that the structure of the public transport system in Jordan is characterised by fragmentation and by conflict in roles and responsibilities among entities such as the Ministry of Transport; the Ministry of Public Works; the Land Transport Regulatory Commission in addition to three local authorities.

The Land Transport Regulatory Commission in Jordan is entrusted with controlling, securing and meeting the demands of all land transport services. The commission’s role is to also maintain these at a good level of service and within budget. Further, it sets contracting criteria and principles and makes sure that conditions for granting licenses related to this sector of transport are met.

The spokesperson for the Land Transport Regulatory Commission Abla Wishah explains that the commission sets standards for public transport lines while keeping people with disabilities in mind. Public transport investment companies that could own twenty buses must make available two disability adapted buses, with each containing at least one seat for disabled people.

According to Ms Wishah, the criteria cover main lines running between governorates and universities only, and this does not apply to buses operating within the governorates.

Odeh Abu-Hassan is the owner of a transportation company on the line between Al-Zarqa and the University of Jordan. He explains that adapting buses entails including a platform that can be lowered to street level for wheelchairs accessibility, and audio and visual alerts.

Abu-Hassan’s company has buses adapted for people with disabilities, and he explains that these cost three times as much as regular buses, with a value of more than 200,000 Jordanian Dinars each ($282000).

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Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities

Article (9) - Accessibility
1. To enable persons with disabilities to live independently and participate fully in all aspects of life, States Parties shall take appropriate measures to ensure to persons with disabilities access, on an equal basis with others, to the physical environment, to transportation, to information and communications, including information and communications technologies and systems, and to other facilities and services open or provided to the public, both in urban and in rural areas. These measures, which shall include the identification and elimination of obstacles and barriers to accessibility, shall apply to, inter alia:
a) Buildings, roads, transportation and other indoor and outdoor facilities, including schools, housing, medical facilities and workplaces;
b) Information, communications and other services, including electronic services and emergency services.

According to former transport Minister Jamil Mujahid, the lack of funding and qualified cadres impedes the implementation of the plans set by the Ministry of Transport.

Mujahid pointed out that the majority of buses in the country are owned by individuals. Therefore, addressing any problem in the transport sector requires regulating individual ownership before setting up requirements for providing appropriate services. Moreover, due to the high cost of adapted buses, incentives should be given for those providing them.

Transport expert Hazim Zureikat points out that the public transport sector in Jordan is not thin on policies or necessary conditions, but lacks the structure and implementation mechanisms. In his opinion, public transport has been built on commercial principles that fail to comply with a state public service that is provided to meet people’s demands and needs.

According to Hazim who is a member of the Board of Trustees of the Higher Council for Persons with Disabilities, the transport lines operators have no source of income apart from the fares paid by passengers; therefore, they care about increasing the number of passengers without bothering too much about meeting criteria.

He believes that the state must bear the cost, and should pay transport lines operators wages for running buses within a specific route along the stipulated standards and conditions.

Binding legal texts but no funds to implement it

The Law on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities commits the Ministry of Transport; the Land Transport Regulatory Commission; the Greater Amman Municipality; other municipalities to make public transport companies adapt all buses for the use of persons with disabilities and to dedicate a minimum of two disability seats per bus.

At the international level, Jordan is bound by the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, which the country ratified in 2007 and which has entered into force since 2008.

In line with the convention, Jordan pledges to take all appropriate measures to eliminate discrimination on the basis of disability by any person, organization or private institution.

States also promise to provide the means and devices that enhance mobility and assistive technologies that are suitable for persons with disabilities while prioritizing available and reasonably priced technologies.

Just before the Coronavirus was declared a pandemic, Human Rights Watch revealed that the Jordanian government failed to fund the key ministries that would implement the Law on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, which was approved by the Jordanian House of Representatives in 2017.

The organization based its analysis on the ministerial budget reports for 2018 and 2019, published by the General Budget Department in Jordan.

The analysis showed that several ministries, including the Ministry of Transport and the Ministry of Municipal Affairs did not allocate any funds for disability rights initiatives.

Constitutional expert Laith Nasraween believes that the recent constitutional amendments have been gradually scaled and expanded in terms of the state’s responsibility towards persons with disabilities. Law articles are not limited to protection from exploitation or abuse but also extend to promoting participation and integration.

Nasraween asserts that the state, the government and the concerned entities are obligated to observe the rights of people with disabilities in being mobile, and must provide all amenities and capabilities, so that this section of society could benefit from the public transport system. Nasraween says, “This should be manifested through laws, legislation or administrative decisions made by the concerned authorities.”

He explained that “need basis” refers to the needs of persons with disabilities and their percentages per region; it does not refer to the technical, financial or logistical means available to the Ministry of Transport.

It is noteworthy that earlier this year the Jordanian Lower House of Parliament agreed to amend Paragraph (5) of Article (6) of the constitution to state that, “The law protects the rights of persons with disabilities and enhances their participation and integration in various aspects of life.”

The Ministry of Transport, the Land Transport Regulatory Commission, the Higher Council for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the Ministry of Local Administration all were contacted for comments, but none were received by the time this article has been published.

this story was produced with the support of the Embassy of Netherlands in Jordan- 100 Watts project.