On International Day for Persons with Disabilities, Queen Rania Joins Group of Children with Disabilities at Children's Museum

(Office of Her Majesty, Press Department-Amman) Her Majesty Queen Rania Al Abdullah and His Royal Highness Prince Raad bin Zeid, President of the Higher Council for Affairs of Persons with Disabilities (HCD), joined a group of children with disabilities on the occasion of the International Day for Persons with Disabilities at the Children’s Museum in Amman today.

Her Majesty and Prince Raad toured the different facilities and were briefed on the collaborative work done by both the Museum and HCD to make the museum’s fun and educational activities safe and accessible for all children regardless of disability.

On the occasion of the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, celebrated annually on the 3rd of December, the Museum and the Council organized a month-long program in December to promote disability issues and to raise awareness of the rights of all children with or without disabilities to play, explore and learn.

Under the program free access to the Museum’s facilities will be granted to all persons with disabilities and their families, in addition to organized visits for centers serving, or run by, people and children with disabilities. As it stands, 40% of the Museum’s facilities are fully accessible and equipped to be used by persons with disabilities, with plans to increase that percentage throughout 2013.

The program’s main objective is to foster a culture of inclusion within the Museum. It offers the opportunity for other children visitors to see and learn about things from a different perspective; the perspective of persons with disabilities, and the ways in which they can interact in various life situations vis-à-vis their own experiences.

The Museum features exhibits on the various assistive devices and support services afforded to children with disabilities that enable them to realize and practice their rights on an equal basis with other children.

Activities will also include stories narrated by people with disabilities who have been successfully included in society, as well as demonstrations of Tahadda. Developed and implemented in collaboration with the British Council, Tahadda “Inclusion through Sports” is a project that is part of International Inspiration 2012, as the legacy of the London Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Opened in 2007, the Children's Museum offers children and families exciting learning experiences through play, discovery and exploration. The Museum houses over 150 interactive exhibits and an exciting array of year-round programs, ensuring that each visit to the Museum is stimulating, immersive and full of fun learning experiences for the whole family.