Disability Inclusive and Accessible Vocational Training Curr...

 Organization Name Stars of Hope Society for the empowerment of women with disabilities

Address Ramallah – Palestine

Project Name Promoting Access of Persons with Disabilities to Decent Work Opportunities

Dead line for question January 18, 2024. 

Submission deadline January 21, 2024.

Background and Context

Persons with disabilities are among the most marginalized and disadvantaged social segments in the world, where they face social isolation and deprivation of active participation in their communities.  Most persons with disabilities are denied their basic rights; health; education; employment; freedom of movement; voting; political participation; participating in sports and cultural activities; enjoying social protection; accessing justice; and entering freely into legal commitments.

Persons with disabilities constitute 5.8 % of the total population in Palestine, 5.0% in the West Bank and 6.8% in Gaza Strip, PCBS 2017, which emphasizes the need for mainstreaming disability in public policies and the enforcement of the rights of persons with disabilities stated in the UNCRPD and other international conventions which Palestine acceded to.

Palestinian persons with disabilities represent a significant group that could contribute to development and society, and yet they are denied their basic economic, social, and cultural rights by default; they are frequently severely marginalized and commonly live-in extreme poverty, a situation that creates a fertile environment for abuse, ill treatment, and violations, and renders persons with disabilities extremely vulnerable.  Moreover, the work environment in Palestine is competitive and male-dominated, as only 19% of women participate in the labor force. Among those seeking a job, the unemployment rate sits at a staggering 28%. The Palestinian labor market also discriminates against people with disabilities, making women with disabilities doubly disadvantaged. The data of the Labor Force Survey 2018 indicated that the percentage of participation of women with disabilities in the workforce in Palestine was only 4% of the total women with disabilities, compared to 21% for men out of the total men with disabilities.

Accordingly, persons with disabilities are at greater risk of poverty than persons without disability, particularly that they are not provided with adequate social protection. On the other hand, when people with disabilities do enter the employment market, they often experience unequal hiring and promotion standards; unequal access to training and retraining, unequal access to productive resources, underpaid for equal work, and are rarely invited or allowed to participate in larger economic decision making. All of these facts remain staking, despite various provisions for employment for people with disabilities under the Palestinian Basic law that’s states that “All Palestinians are equal before the law and judiciary, without discrimination on the basis of race, sex, color, religion, political views, or disability”.

With this in view, SHS initiated this project titled “Promoting Access of Persons with Disabilities to Decent Work Opportunities” funded by CBM- to increase the decent work opportunities of persons with disabilities in the Palestinian market through the empowerment of persons with disabilities themselves, development of their employability skills, and at the same time through the promotion of systemic changes in the vocational training sector that enhance the inclusion of persons with disabilities.

The consultancy

During the second year of the project, a comprehensive Disability Inclusion Assessment was carried out for two private vocational training centers in the West Bank and in Gaza Strip. As a next step towards ensuring the inclusion of persons with disabilities in vocational training programs, following the assessment process, the two targeted private vocational training centers in the West Bank and Gaza Strip will be technically and financially supported through this project to become good practice models of disability inclusion that could be replicated. It is envisaged that these replicable models will have positive implications for influencing disability inclusive vocational training policy and practice in Palestine.

Meetings and round table discussions will be held with the different department / sections of each of the targeted VTCs to discuss their current status, agree on and accomplish the needed interventions. Besides, training sessions will be organized for each VTC on such topics as the concept and models of disability, rights of persons with disabilities, disability inclusion, disability language, communication etiquette and sign language, universal design and accessibility, reasonable accommodation, involving management staff and VT instructors.

SHS will cooperate with relevant specialized OPDs and NGOs to implement further courses in sign language – if needed- like the Palestinian Red Crescent in West-Bank and Atfaluna in Gaza Strip.

Furthermore, one prospect vocational training program will be selected at each of the two targeted VTCs according to a specific criterion including: feasibility, demand rate by persons with disabilities, possibility of improvement, market demand (based on the study findings and consultations with the private sector representatives) and costing.

The results and findings of the intended assessment will form the basis for the relevant assignment of “Development of Disability Inclusive and Accessible Vocational Training Curricula” planned throughout this consultancy

Summary of the assignment:

SHS is seeking the services of a Professional expert/ team of experts to develop a Disability Inclusive and Accessible Vocational Training Curriculum for a Vocational Training center (VTC) in West bank during the period of (Mid of February to Mid of April 2024) using an inclusive and participatory approaches.

Deliverables:

Required Competencies

The team leader should possess at least Master’s degree (or equivalent) in social studies, special education, Inclusive education or relevant fields 

The team leader and/or team members should possess:

Application procedures:

“Stars of Hope Society” is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality and culture. Individuals from minority groups, indigenous groups and persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence.