Amman, May 21 (Petra) – HH Prince Mired, Chief Chamberlain and President of the Higher Council for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (HCD) met on Wednesday with Amman Mayor Yousef Shawarbeh at the Council’s headquarters to discuss shared priorities, particularly the advancement of commitments made by the Greater Amman Municipality (GAM) at the 2025 Global Disability Summit and the development of implementation plans.

Prince Mired praised the close cooperation and continuous coordination with GAM, calling it a model of best practice in harmonizing efforts to ensure that municipal projects are inclusive and accessible for persons with disabilities. He emphasized the importance of adhering to the highest technical and engineering standards as outlined in Jordan’s building code for accessibility.

Mayor Shawarbeh reaffirmed the importance of ongoing coordination and technical knowledge-sharing between both parties, stressing that accessibility and inclusive design have become key requirements in all of GAM’s projects.

The meeting addressed recent developments related to accessibility for persons with disabilities within the new Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) routes in Madaba and Balqa governorates. Discussions also covered procedural steps to begin designing accessible and safe pedestrian crossings, equipped with audio signaling systems to assist visually impaired individuals at major intersections in the capital.

Additionally, the meeting reviewed progress on the second phase of the model district project in Jabal Al-Hussein, aimed at enhancing pedestrian mobility and accessibility. The upgrades include tactile paving for the visually impaired, sidewalk modifications, and removal of physical barriers to ensure safe pedestrian movement. The area was chosen due to its dense concentration of public service buildings, commercial facilities, clinics, banks, mosques, associations, and schools.

The two sides also discussed the “Inclusive and Resilient Cities” initiative in the Abdali area a GAM-led project in partnership with the council, local disability organizations, and urban planning experts.

Funded by the European Union, the project aims to transform Abdali into a model of inclusive and resilient urban development over the next two years.

The initiative is expected to directly benefit over 156,000 people, including approximately 7,000 persons with disabilities.

//Petra// AF
21/05/2025 21:45:44