Grace Khawam writes:
More than 80% unemployed, 45% under the poverty line [1], 258 wounded and at least 42 newly disabled by the Beirut explosion [2]. Lack of inclusive education mainstreamed in schools, lack of implementation of legal protection frameworks, lack of affordable healthcare services [3], and lack of accessible online learning, health information and vaccination venues throughout the pandemic. This is a quick snapshot of the current state-of-affairs of persons with disabilities in Lebanon. The needs and rights of persons with disabilities have been systematically deprioritized in Lebanon, not only historically, but with every new crisis, every new humanitarian response, and every new development action.
Why are people with disabilities in Lebanon constantly left behind? Contrary to what many may think, it is not because they are more vulnerable or need more special care: it is because they have been consistently marginalized in policies and practices, through socially imposed restrictions, and direct and indirect forms of institutional discrimination - this is what disablism means [4]. While refusing a discourse of victimization, let us unpack the underpinnings of this systemic marginalization. Let us first picture this: a world where pavements, buildings and public spaces are wheelchair-accessible; where sign language is a national language taught in schools; where quality healthcare is available for all; where school lessons are adapted to each learner’s needs; where workplaces provide reasonable accommodations for each employee to excel at their work. If we remove all barriers, all restrictions imposed by the environment, by people’s attitudes, by systems and structures, would persons with disabilities still be left behind?
The world I am depicting here is not utopian, this is a world where universal human rights are respected, where social justice is a collective strive. The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) defines disability as the result of “the interaction between persons with impairments and attitudinal and environmental barriers that hinders their full and effective participation in society on an equal basis with others” [5]. In other words, society creates disability. Therefore, to improve the lives of persons with disability in Lebanon, we should not “fix the disabled”, we should fix society. We should fight disablism in all its forms and representations. This is not a question of reaching out to those left behind, this is a call to action for all those “moving ahead”. An invitation for all of us to pause, to halt for a moment of self-reflection; an appeal to collectively question the status-quo, and an opportunity to break the business-as-usual towards a more equitable world.
Who is society? It does not only mean the state. While disability policy reform is a crucial and essential step towards advancing disability rights in Lebanon, and the consistent inaction and lack of political will from the leaders of this country has been a critical hindrance to any progress, this is not the only change that needs to be sought out. Society is every one of us, the working mom, the cooking dad, the neighbor next door, the dekkanji on the street, the school children, the community pharmacist, the businessman, the news anchor, the humanitarian worker, the popstar, the teacher, the hairdresser, the taxi driver, everyone. All of us “moving ahead”. We all have a role to play, we all can take part towards building a better country for all. With this, I present the following call for action, to society, to Lebanon:
To my fellow members in disability organizations, workers, service providers and actors in disability rights: Let us learn from each other. Let us shift away from the overplayed dispute between disability rights activists and disability service providers. Let us liberate ourselves from the confessional-sectarian order bolstered by our political elite. Let us capitalize on the expertise that some of our care institutions have built up over the years, and potentialize on the transfer of knowledge towards community-based mainstream settings and sectors.
To my fellow activists and self-advocates in the disability movement: Let us sustain disruptions to the political system. Even though advocating for policy reform in a failed state led by corrupt and incompetent leaders seems as much as a lost cause as waiting for cactuses to grow apples, let us not stop trying. Let us sustain strategic mobilization where it is needed. Let us foster small-scale nuisances and consistent nudges to the system, enough to bother, enough to disturb, enough to induce a reaction. And, when a window of opportunity arises, let us be prepared, in solidarity and unity of demands, to charge with all our forces, and push for the disability policy reform that is so much needed in Lebanon.
To my colleagues in civil society organizations, international NGOs and UN agencies: Let us work together. We do not need you to be implementers or coordinators, we need you as allies. We want to see you mainstream inclusion of persons with disabilities in your practices, in your programs, in your workforce and in your everyday business. We want to see disability-disaggregated indicators in your logframes, accessible monitoring & evaluation tools in your procedures, and job opportunities for youth with disabilities in your offices.
To the international donors and funding agencies: Let us invest together. Let us strategically make use of donor money pouring in the country throughout its multiple crises. Help us guide funding in a way that places inclusion at the core - not at the margins - of development, reform, and the Beirut reconstruction. It is now or never the opportunity to direct funds towards not just building back better but building back more inclusively and more equitably.
To my fellow citizens, protesters, revolutionaries, and reformists: Let us join hands in universal political action. Let us raise our voices high for a joint cause: for human rights, for accountability, and a better nation for all.
To my fellow journalists, media spokespersons and influencers: Let us speak the truth. Let us stop sensationalizing disability, let us refrain from romanticizing, from tokenizing, from manipulating people’s lived experiences for cheap media scoops. Instead of producing meaningless pity by exaggerating suffering and paternalizing supports, let us shift the focus towards the societal barriers that need to be removed, towards the change that needs to happen in communities and in society.
Finally, to my fellow community members, civil society, religious actors and residents of Lebanon: Let us embrace inclusion. Let us normalize diversity and differences. Let us move away from charity discourses and embrace a language of rights. Let us let go of the “harams”, of the false sympathies, of the exaggerated praises, and of the exclusionary special treatments. Persons with disabilities are not heroes. They are not saints. They are citizens, with rights. Let us all join the fight for equity and inclusion, together.
Grace Khawam is a researcher, public health professional and disability activist. Currently a PhD candidate in Disability and Development at Oxford Brookes University (UK), she holds an Associate Fellowship in Higher Education Teaching and is a lecturer at Saint Joseph University in Lebanon. Grace has a Doctorate in Pharmacy and a master’s degree in Public Health. She also has a certificate in Global Mental Health from Harvard University, with a focus on refugee trauma. Grace has worked for more than twelve years in the development and humanitarian fields in Lebanon, at research institutes and at local and international non-governmental organizations.
This post was originally published in the UNDP's Peacebuilding in Lebanon newsletter.
References
1. World Bank, T.W. US$246 Million to Support Poor and Vulnerable Lebanese Households and Build-Up the Social Safety Net Delivery System. January 2021; Available from: https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/press-release/2021/01/12/us246-million-to-support-poor-and-vulnerable-lebanese-households-and-build-up-the-social-safety-net-delivery-system.
2. Ghsain, N., Bodies Not Their Own: The Neglected Victims of Beirut’s Port Explosion, in The Legal Agenda. 2021.
3. Combaz, E., Situation of persons with disabilities in Lebanon, K.D. Report, Editor. 2018.
4. Thomas, C., Medical sociology and disability theory, in New directions in the sociology of chronic and disabling conditions. 2010, Springer. p. 37-56.
5. (UN), U.N., United Nations Convention and Optional Protocol on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD). International Legal Materials 2006. 46(3): p. 443-466.
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