26/07/2026
Between Media Spectacle and Bitter Reality: Disability Rights in Syria Under Scrutiny
Shaza Zafer Al-Jundi, Ph.D
When we address the reality of persons with disabilities in Syria today, we do not rely on theoretical readings or remote observation; rather, we speak from over four decades of direct, on-the-ground experience in founding and managing specialized associations and institutes. From this exact vantage point, we draw a clear, objective line between empty diplomatic formalities and the tangible, actual rights that citizens with disabilities ought to experience in their daily lives.
For many years, this cause has suffered from severe depletion and neglect. A strategic, rights-based issue was reduced to a framework of charity and performative propaganda practiced by previous administrative structures, accompanied by a massive drain of specialized talent and a sharp deterioration of infrastructure.
With the profound transformations since late 2024, a widespread assumption emerged that Syria was turning a new page—one that would place the rights of persons with disabilities at the forefront of the emerging state's priorities.
This issue carries exceptional urgency given the tens of thousands who sustained permanent disabilities due to human rights violations, detention, torture, and direct participation in the revolution. Engaging with this group must not be limited to symbolic honors and gestures; it demands solid, actionable steps toward redress, fair compensation, and the provision of comprehensive rights—in line with national frameworks and the binding commitments of the International Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, which Syria ratified.
At the level of superficial achievements and formal gestures, certain developments and figures have emerged: the entry of five members with disabilities into the Syrian People's Assembly, the establishment of the "Syrian Movement for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities," and the involvement of various ministries—such as Religious Affairs, Health, Education, and Culture—in opening centers and supporting new associations, alongside hosting comprehensive conferences. Yet behind this facade, reality remains submerged in thousands of meetings, empty promises, televised interviews, and staged photo opportunities.
Taking photos with persons with disabilities to claim progress is nothing short of exploitation—a transparent cover for a hollow spectacle that fails to address their most basic daily needs.
When put to the test of daily life, this superficial movement reveals a profound gap between rhetoric and implementation. The sole metric for assessing governmental efforts is not the volume of meetings or commemorative photos, but what persons with disabilities have actually gained in terms of fundamental rights since liberation to this day.
The reality confirms that progress is dangerously stagnant and has not positively impacted the lives of persons with disabilities or their families. The Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor continues to flounder in blatant negligence, turning its corridors into a factory of promises, delays, ceremonial interviews, archived reports, and official travel with international organizations that yields no tangible outcome on the ground.
Persons with disabilities and their families feel increasingly marginalized and exploited by the media. Local and international conferences are convened, attracting global experts, only to use the cause as a backdrop for institutional self-promotion. Meanwhile, rights-holders remain excluded from financial inclusion, proper healthcare, inclusive education, and genuine economic opportunities. Perhaps the most telling indicator of this neglect is the prolonged gathering of a large group of persons with disabilities near the Presidential Palace requesting a meeting with the President to explain their reality, only to be met with complete disregard.
Building a new Syria will not be achieved through performative displays and verbal protocols. What the disability portfolio urgently requires is an immediate transition from "media posturing" to binding, executive measures. This includes establishing health insurance coverage, retrofitting schools and public infrastructure, providing financial and rehabilitative support, and implementing the International Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities as enforceable, acquired rights—not merely slogans recycled in official events and reports.
International organizations and donor institutions stand fully prepared to offer the necessary technical and financial backing. However, they conduct exploratory visits specifically to assess genuine political will. When confronted with the exclusion of persons with disabilities—the primary stakeholders—and when they observe that governmental focus remains fixated on media coverage rather than ex*****on, compounded by a lack of technical expertise and aimless strategy, they choose to withdraw, knowing their funding will yield no lasting impact.
The opportunities for support and meaningful change available today are immense. They could have been decisively leveraged had there been sincere intent, professional vision, and a serious, rights-based approach.