Amman: President of the Higher Council for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (HCD) HRH Prince Mired bin Ra'ad met on Sunday with senior officials and cabinet ministers to address systemic lapses in implementing Jordan's 2018 accessibility building code. The meeting reviewed an HCD diagnostic study examining why accessibility standards are "rarely met" nationwide.
According to Jordan News Agency, the problem stems from a fragmented enforcement system rather than the code itself. Without standardized oversight from design through inspection, compliance "remains sporadic," driving wide disparities nationwide.
Prince Mired stated that code compliance is a "fundamental human right" rather than a mere technical formality, adding that effective enforcement ensures equal access to schools, hospitals, and public facilities.
Participants discussed corrective measures, including linking building permits and occupancy certificates directly to accessibility checks, introducing mandatory compliance checklists, and building a national tracking database.
The council's Accessibility Directorate presented a 90-day priority roadmap to establish clear institutional roles, binding enforcement mechanisms, and a joint follow-up framework.