The Importance of Access in Understanding Disability and Political Reality for Disabled Jordanians

Access, a key concept in practicing oral history, embodies multiple dimensions: access to communication, resources and physical environment. Critically examining these dimensions of access impacts how we design research and... [ view full abstract ]

Access, a key concept in practicing oral history, embodies multiple dimensions: access to communication, resources and physical environment. Critically examining these dimensions of access impacts how we design research and approach the world around us. This project located at the intersections of disability studies, oral history studies and Middle East politics presents the importance of access in understanding disability and political reality for persons with disabilities in Jordan. The presentation draws on fieldwork I conducted in Jordan with the purpose of engaging different stakeholders in the process of identifying and analyzing the issues in the field of disability.

Rather than merely focusing on the personal experiences with and analysis of the disability policies, this project’s research setting provided a means for each of the narrators to speak expansively about critical factors that have shaped their everyday lives. The analysis that emerged from this project suggests that disabled Jordanians and Jordanian political leaders understand and approach access differently, and this has material consequences; that thinking strongly about access as a design issue can create new strategies, practices and policies for addressing barriers and inclusion; and that access serves as a relevant topic and practice for all researchers to engage.