By Laila Azzeh

AMMAN - Despite being far away from home, Michael Green insists on pursuing his passion in Jordan.

“Being able to change someone's life for the better is worth it,” the 36-year-old British nurse said, adding that although education, employment, travelling between home and work or simply going out with friends are activities often taken for granted, these ordinary aspects of life remain difficult to achieve for many persons with disabilities (PWD).

Growing up with epilepsy inspired Green to work with PWD as he realised how disabilities, both physical and mental, can hamper people from living a normal life.

“I felt that I had the potential to erase some stereotypes people have about the disabled.”

After graduating from university with a degree in psychology, Green felt it was not enough for him to have an “ordinary” day job. He enrolled in a nursing faculty and attended several courses on ways to enhance the quality of life for people with disabilities.

After volunteering in Egypt and Yemen, Green came to Jordan in an effort to “make a difference in the region”.

“I decided to work in this part of the world as I felt that there is a dire need for disability specialists,” he explained.

Green has been serving in the Kingdom as a disability health specialist for the last four years, working in hospitals, schools and clinics across the country to enhance the standard of living for persons with disabilities and help them access needed health programmes and community services.

State of denial

“Having worked in the Kingdom's eastern, western and central regions, Green admits that Jordan still “has a long way to go” towards integrating PWD into the community and raising public awareness of their needs.

“What surprises me the most here is that most people do not acknowledge that their children are disabled. If they do so, they will enhance their children's access to health services and programmes.”

Green is now working part-time at Palestine Hospital, a place he called “the friendliest hospital in Jordan”, as a member of a team working to upgrade the hospital’s services.

Established upon His Majesty King Hussein's directives in 1960 and transformed into a not-for-profit hospital in 1999, Palestine Hospital invites medical teams from abroad in order to exchange experience and knowledge. A nursing team from Nablus is currently serving in the hospital.

According to studies conducted by the Ministry of Social Development in 2004, there are around 62,000 persons with disabilities in the Kingdom, of whom 17.6 per cent suffer from cerebral palsy, 28.6 per cent from physical disabilities, 9.31 per cent from visual disabilities and 16.41 per cent from hearing disabilities.

“Despite considerable progress, the disabled in Jordan are still experiencing disadvantages and discrimination barriers in building designs and policies, which prevent them from fulfilling their potential,” Green said.