The Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor revealed that 326,620 people in Syria hold disability cards, emphasizing the official document's role in facilitating access to services for this group and enhancing their social integration.
Watheq Halal, Director of Social Policies at the Ministry, clarified that the card grants access to health, educational, and administrative services, supports vocational rehabilitation, thereby enhancing the independence of persons with disabilities and cementing their rights to access various services.
Resumption of Issuance in Idlib
Halal pointed to the resumption of card issuance in Idlib Governorate after a 14-year halt, achieving the reintegration of individuals into the national social protection network.
He added that this enables them to obtain their service, health, and educational rights after years of forced deprivation due to the crimes of the ousted regime, stressing that the card shifts the disability file from the framework of humanitarian care to the framework of rights and social solidarity.
Eligible Categories and Services
He clarified that the card is issued to various disability categories (visual, hearing, motor, mental, developmental, and multiple) based on functional medical assessment, with no validity period.
Services include discounts on public transport, exemptions from administrative fees, priority access to medical devices and prosthetics, and facilitations in university admission and educational integration.
Acquisition Procedures and Challenges
He added that required documents include ID, photos, and medical reports, with the process taking a few weeks, and replacement cards can be issued in case of loss or damage.
He affirmed the Ministry's efforts to fully automate the system via the "electronic card" and expand benefits through memorandums of understanding with the private sector, while designating complaint offices to resolve logistical and social obstacles.
Source: Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA)
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