Irbid, Sept. 9 (Petra) -- Social Development Minister Wafaa Bani Mustafa visited several associations and centers providing social, educational, and development services during a field tour of Irbid on Wednesday, reviewing the services they provide and their needs, as well as visiting several families of persons with disabilities.

Bani Mustafa began her tour by opening the inclusive Moon Valley Hills Academy School and the Rawae Al-Tilal Kindergarten, both affiliated with the Al-Rida Society for the Blind, in the presence of Irbid Assistant Governor Rami Obeidat.

She reviewed the association's services and programs for persons with disabilities, inspected classrooms and the kindergarten, and listened to a briefing by the society's president, Imad Masoud, on current services and requirements for completing and developing educational programs for blind students and persons with disabilities.

Bani Mustafa said the ministry had supported the establishment of the kindergarten alongside classrooms for blind students, stressing the association's important role in providing a safe educational and social environment tailored to the needs of the children and students benefiting from its services.

She said the school provided a model for inclusive education by serving students with disabilities, particularly visual impairments, alongside children and students without disabilities, promoting inclusion and providing equal educational opportunities for all.

Bani Mustafa said the Jordanian government, under the directives of His Majesty King Abdullah II, attached great importance to inclusive education for persons with disabilities, particularly in light of the outcomes of the Third Global Disability Summit in Berlin, which received royal patronage.

Promoting inclusive education was a key path towards ensuring that persons with disabilities could exercise their rights and access educational opportunities, enabling them to participate effectively in society, she added.

During her field tour, Bani Mustafa opened a free medical day at the Irbid Comprehensive Inclusive Day Services Center, operated by the King Hussein Foundation.

The medical day provided a range of treatment services to the center's beneficiaries and their families, distributed wheelchairs to children with physical disabilities, and provided school bags and stationery to children with disabilities.

Bani Mustafa also visited the Al-Afaq Charity Society for Education, established in 2007, which provides educational grants and loans to university students.

She reviewed a youth training and rehabilitation project supported and funded by the Ministry of Social Development, stressing the importance of investing in young people and providing opportunities that enabled them to develop their skills and improve their prospects for education and employment.

Society President Ihsan Hamadeh outlined its key programs and initiatives, which have benefited around 40,000 people.

The tour also included visits to several families with members with disabilities. The minister reviewed their living conditions and needs and instructed relevant officials to provide the necessary support and assistance based on each family's needs, including financial support and essential supplies.

On the sidelines of the tour, Bani Mustafa accepted an invitation from women of the Al-Batayneh tribe to attend a ceremony honoring university graduates from the tribe.

The event was attended by Yarmouk University Vice President Ruba Al-Bataineh, Director of the Royal Cultural Centre Administration Wasfi Al-Bataineh, and several tribal elders and members of the Al-Bataineh family.

The field tour was part of the Ministry of Social Development's approach to monitoring social and development services and programs on the ground, identifying the needs of citizens and target groups, and strengthening partnerships with associations and civil society institutions to develop and improve services and ensure they reach those entitled to them.

//Petra// AF