Jabalia Rehabilitation Society

Jabalia Rehabilitation Society (JRS) is a locally-based, independent, non-governmental, non-profit, and non-sectarian Palestinian organization, established in 1991 and authorized by the Palestinian Ministry of Interior, and registered in other related Ministries. JRS operates in the Northern Area of Gaza and is a member of the High Coordination Committee of the Community Rehabilitation Centers in the UNRWA service regions, the Palestinian Non-Governmental Organizations Network, and the Coordination Committee of the Rehabilitation Centers in the Refugee Camps in Gaza Strip. 

 

JRS provides rehabilitation services for persons with disability in the Gaza Strip to improve their living conditions through providing them with opportunities for individual development to attain personal goals and aspirations, enhance independent living, and achieve full participation in society in accordance with human rights principles. JRS works to provide rehabilitation services for persons with disabilities in the Northern governorate of Gaza with particular focus on persons with hearing, speech and language, and motor disabilities, especially children. This is through its primary programs, Educational Program, Community Rehabilitation Program, and Audiology and Speech and Language Therapy Program, that function according to specific strategies and goals appropriate to the target groups, type and characteristics of disability, and the local community. 

 

Further, in coordination with a group of partner organizations spread over all the Gaza Strip, JRS also implements a variety of humanitarian, relief, and rehabilitation projects in accordance with the urgent needs of the various beneficiary groups in the community. These programs and project activities are implemented by a well-qualified inter-disciplinary team of professionals to fulfill the varied needs of the persons with disabilities. To assure a high standard of services, JRS focuses on developing the capacity of the team of professionals by organizing capacity building activities and/or participating in activities organized by other local organizations. 

JRS vision: 

A pioneer and distinguished rehabilitation shine for persons with disabilities. 

 

JRS mission: 

JRS is a locally-based, independent, non-governmental, non-profit, and non-sectarian Palestinian organization seeks to empower persons with disabilities including, but are not limited to, persons with hearing impairment, speech and language disabilities, and motor (physical) disability. This is through its strategic directions that involve, supporting the social and political participation of persons with disabilities and developing their competences through education, early intervention, advocacy, community awareness, and training and capacity building programs and activities conducted by a well-qualified multidisciplinary team of professionals committed to human rights principles and to the international conventions for persons with disabilities. 

The society aims to achieve the following: 

JRS Values and principles:
 
In achieving its vision, mission, and strategic goals, JRS is committed to the following:
 

 
The Programs:

1. Educational Program for Children with Hearing Impairment:

The overall Objective: Create a stimulating learning environment for children with hearing impairment in the Northern Gaza region.

The program provides basic education services to children with hearing impairment from the first to the ninth grade. The children are provided with academic tasks that are appropriate to their abilities and equivalent to the school curriculums credited by the Ministry of Education. The program includes the provision of early intervention services to pre-school aged children.

In addition, the program works for the active integration of children with hearing impairments in community activities, where they are regarded on an equal basis with other children. Additionally, children with hard of hearing are provided with hearing aids to promote the best possible benefit from their residual hearing ability. To promote the best teaching-learning process and achieve better learning outcomes, the teaching staff designs and uses a variety of teaching tools that are appropriate to the children's abilities and in accordance with the learning goals indicated in the credited curriculums.

In support of the educational process, the program also provides psychosocial services for the children and their families that include awareness and consultation sessions, individual and group counseling sessions, and home visits. Moreover, the program offers periodic audiology examination to the children attending the educational program as well as speech and language therapy services as needed. In addition, the program provides relief assistance and contributes to covering the annual program fees as well as transportation for poor families. The program also offers many other extra-curricular activities, such as summer camps, celebrations on social and national occasions, excursions, competitions, open activity days, and other activities in the community.

2. Audiology and Speech, and Language Therapy Program:

The overall objective: Raise the level of verbal communication of persons with hearing, speech, and language disability to support the different aspects of their development.
 
The program provides screening and evaluation services for the hearing, speech and language capabilities for all members in the community of all ages using modern devices. In events where the screening shows a weakness in this capacity, the program works on the installation of the appropriate hearing aids with the provision of maintenance services. The beneficiaries are provided with the needed instructions concerning the proper use of the hearing aids. The program also provides therapy sessions for beneficiaries from the community having speech and language difficulties starting from four years of age. Parents of children with speech and language difficulties are provided with instructions and guidance on how to deal with these difficulties within the family to ensure the achievement of the desired results.
 
In addition, the program conducts regular hearing, speech, and language examinations for the students attending the educational program, to determine any changes in these capabilities and facilitate hearing aids for those who need them, and / or make necessary maintenance on the hearing aids they already have. Moreover, these children are provided with individual and group speech and language therapy sessions to ensure the highest level of utilization of verbal communication through the educational process.
 
3. Community-Based Rehabilitation Program (CBR):

The overall objective: Assist persons with motor disabilities to ensure their effective participation in society on an equal footing with their peers.
 
The rehabilitation program provides a package of integrated rehabilitation services for persons with motor disabilities following the CBR matrix approved by the World Health Organization. The most important services provided by the program are early intervention and community awareness. Early intervention includes outreach services through home visits, including physiotherapy, psychosocial counseling sessions for the person with motor disabilities and his/her family, and center-based services implemented in the resource unit that involve the provision of physiotherapy and psychosocial counseling sessions for persons with motor disabilities provided in the sensory room, and ability (cognitive, sensory, motor) enhancement sessions provided in the games room, and awareness, consultation, counseling sessions for the parents of children with motor disability. In relation to community awareness, the program offers services for various groups in the community, aiming at promoting prevention and early detection of disability, supporting best care practices, as well as advocating for the rights of persons with disabilities. Furthermore, the program provides the necessary assistive devices for persons with motor disability and the necessary support for environmental adaptation. Other services provided by the rehabilitation program for persons with disabilities include: monitoring and documenting violations of the rights of persons with disabilities and taking appropriate actions when necessary, providing training and employment opportunities, and humanitarian assistance as long as possible.