Today, 3 December, Lebanon marks the International Day of Persons with Disabilities under the global theme "Fostering disability-inclusive societies for advancing social progress." The message is clear: Lebanon cannot achieve inclusive development, resilient recovery, or sustainable peace unless persons with disabilities, including women and girls with disabilities, can participate fully, enjoy equal rights, and shape the decisions that affect their lives.
Across periods of displacement, hostilities, economic hardship, and institutional strain, women and men with disabilities have been central to community resilience; mobilizing local relief efforts, coordinating humanitarian aid networks, advocating for accessible essential services, supporting neighbors in crisis, and sustaining social stability when national systems were under immense pressure. Their engagement is not peripheral; it is a cornerstone of Lebanon's social fabric and collective resilience.
Yet persons with disabilities, estimated at 10-15 per cent of Lebanon's population, continue to face structural, economic, social, and attitudinal barriers that restrict equal access to rights, services, and opportunities. Evidence shows that households including a person with a disability face significantly higher living costs - up to 31.8 per cent more among the poorest families. These disparities reflect not individual limitations, but systemic exclusion and insufficient investment in disability-responsive and gender-responsive policies.
Disability inclusion is not charity. It is a human rights obligation, grounded in Lebanon's ratification of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) and its commitments under Law 220/2000, which guarantees equal rights to education, health, employment, accessibility, protection, and participation. Delivering on these obligations is essential for strengthening public trust, improving governance, and advancing national stability.
Lebanon is now at a pivotal moment. The Ministry of Social Affairs is advancing a National Strategy for the Rights and Inclusion of Persons with Disability, developed in partnership with ESCWA, UNFPA, organizations of persons with disabilities (OPDs), and civil society. The Strategy aims to operationalize Lebanon's commitments under the CRPD and Law 220/2000, strengthen rights-based services, and ensure inclusive governance across sectors.
The following concrete measures have been advanced:
- Implementation of the National Disability Allowance (NDA): a government-led programme, implemented by the Ministry of Social Development and funding support of the European Union and the Government of the Netherlands, and technically supported by UNICEF, ILO, providing direct income support to persons with disabilities holding a valid disability card.
- Mainstreaming disability across the National Social Protection Strategy: led by the Ministry of Social Affairs, with technical support from ILO and UNICEF, and funding support of European Union to ensure that persons with disabilities are included in shock-responsive and long-term social protection systems.
- Continued provision of disability-related social services through Social Development Centers (SDCs): operated by the Ministry of Social Affairs as essential community entry points for referrals, social assistance, protection services, and case management.
- Disability-inclusive programming: UN Women, in partnership with the Lebanese Union for Persons with Physical Disabilities (LUPD) and funded by Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, implements disability-inclusive initiatives, including the "Access Kitchen". This initiative has established three community kitchens in Saida, Zahle, and Beirut, led by women with disabilities, promoting their leadership and economic empowerment while providing food assistance during displacement and humanitarian crises.
- Investment in establishing disability-inclusive health services within Public Health Centers at the facility and community levels, with technical and operational support from the Ministry of Public Health.
- Development and endorsement of the 2023 Ministry of Education and Higher Education (MEHE) National Policy on Inclusive Education for Children with Special Needs, with technical support from UNICEF and funding support of European Union with technical support from UNICEF and funding support of European Union marking a key milestone in establishing a national framework to scale up inclusive education across Lebanon.
- Scaling up of the Ministry of Education and Higher Education Inclusive Education Programme, supported by the European Union and UNICEF since its pilot launch in the 2018-2019 school year. The programme has evolved into one of the country's most impactful long-term investments in public education and is being implemented in 117 public schools ensuring that all children have equitable access to quality education in supportive and accessible school environments.
- As a common UN initiative, the Disability Inclusion Working Group was established in November 2025, which created a dedicated mechanism to strengthen coordination across UN agencies and ensure that disability inclusion is systematically integrated into humanitarian, development, and recovery efforts in Lebanon.
- Regular consultation with organizations of persons with disabilities (OPDs) and civil society: facilitated with the Ministry of Social Affairs, in line with CRPD requirements to ensure meaningful participation in policy development, implementation, and monitoring.
Women and girls with disabilities, particularly, face a heightened risk of discrimination, which results from the intersection of gender and disability. This vulnerability is reflected in increased risks of gender-based violence and exclusion from sexual and reproductive health services, which includes maternal care and family planning. This discrimination is compounded by barriers to employment and underrepresentation in leadership. Addressing these challenges requires targeted, sustained action. Ensuring their voices guide policies and programs is essential to achieving equality and social justice.
Transformative progress also requires addressing stigma, harmful social norms, and the full layers of intersectional vulnerabilities, including the need for policies that support the health, dignity, and autonomy of older persons with disabilities, in line with the life-cycle approach. Discriminatory attitudes in families, schools, workplaces, and institutions continue to undermine inclusion. Tackling these barriers demands public awareness, accessible information, inclusive education, and visible leadership by persons with disabilities.
Lebanon's recovery and economic revitalization will only succeed if persons with disabilities are fully included. Inclusive employment policies, accessible workplaces, and support for entrepreneurship are not just moral imperatives - they are smart investments that fuel productivity, spark innovation, and strengthen community resilience. Non-discrimination measures must move from words to action. When everyone participates, everyone benefits.
To ensure accountability and track progress, we emphasize the importance of strengthening the collection and use of disability- and sex-disaggregated data, conducting public accessibility assessments, and developing transparent monitoring mechanisms in partnership with OPDs.
On this International Day of Persons with Disabilities, we honor the leadership, expertise, and determination of persons with disabilities across Lebanon. Their lived experiences and contributions must guide the path toward a more inclusive, resilient, and equitable future.
Together, we reaffirm our dedication to ensuring a Lebanon where every person - regardless of disability, gender, or circumstance - can live with dignity, exercise their rights fully, participate equally, and contribute to a just and inclusive society.
Signatories:
- H.E. Andrew Barnes, Ambassador of Australia to Lebanon
- Dr. Mourad Wahba, Acting Executive Secretary, Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA).
- Ms. Gielan Elmessiri, UN Women Representative in Lebanon
- Dr. Ruba Jaradat, Regional Director for Arab States, International Labour Organization (ILO)
- Ms. Anandita Philipose, Representative of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)
- Mr. Marcoluigi Corsi, Representative of United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF)
- Ms. Sylvana Lakkis, Co-Founder & Chairperson, Arab Forum for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities; President, LUPD
- The Feminist Platform in Lebanon
