Persons with Disabilities Protection Barriers Report in North-West Syria (August 2024) [EN/AR]

The Inclusion Technical working group (ITWG) of the Northwest Syria Protection Cluster, with support from the Protection Monitoring and Analysis working Group (PMA WG) coordinated an assessment of protection risks, impacts and between March and April 2024. 535 persons with disabilities consulted with different disabilities living in 23 sub-districts within the governorates of Northern Aleppo and Idleb in Northwest Syria covering 87 locations communities, and 106 camp residences. The key findings of the assessment include:

• 47% of the persons with disabilities respondents indicated basic services are not accessible.

• Half of the persons with disabilities respondents reported that transport services are not accessible for persons with disabilities.

• access to assistive devices for persons with disabilities is limited, 41% stated they do not have access at all.

• vast majority (73.6%) of respondent’s persons with disabilities cannot meet their family's financial needs.

• men and women with disabilities do not have equal opportunities in the workplace compared to people without disabilities.

• 43% of respondents feel that the safety of individuals with disabilities is generally less assured, while 40% believe that safety is only partially equal.

• (83%) of respondents of persons with disabilities perceive some level of disparity in safety between individuals with disabilities and those without when commuting to work or home.

• Most respondents (89%) perceive that people with disabilities face significant barriers to fully accessing and participating in community-based structures, with 40% indicating no access and 49% noting only partial access.

• Half of the respondents believe that information on access to humanitarian assistance and services is not easy for people with disabilities to receive and understand, highlighting a critical gap in communication and accessibility.

• The majority of respondents (59%) indicated that reporting incidents of violence and abuse, including gender-based violence (GBV) and sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA), are not accessible to people with disabilities.

• Approximately 4 out of 5 respondents report having health problems, conditions, or disabilities, indicating a high prevalence of health-related issues among the surveyed population.