In the era of the International Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, we are moving toward inclusion when we implement the idea of ​​amending the current status quo in our society, where isolation is widespread against persons with disabilities, on the one hand, and where discrimination is practiced against them, primarily due to the lack of sufficient awareness among segments and sectors of society, on the other. As for the idea of ​​inclusive decision-making, it is within the power of community groups to achieve it through a series of proven effective steps: establishment, formulation, interaction, lobbying, and implementation.

Organizations of persons with disabilities represent the most capable entity in expressing the rights, aspirations, and capabilities of persons with disabilities, advocating for their rights, following up on demands, creating files, and pushing for the implementation of existing laws, or those adopted with a stay of implementation.

These organizations are part of civil rights organizations, which in turn are part of civil society institutions, in their broadest definition. However, these organizations of persons with disabilities are often unable to work alone to implement a particular right or implement a particular provision of the law on the rights of persons with disabilities. Although they possess the ability to articulate needs and capabilities, formulate a number of working mechanisms, and organize targeted advocacy efforts, they still need to influence the broader civil society space to embrace the rights stipulated, engage with advocacy campaigns, and include the rights of persons with disabilities as an integral part of their development agenda.

We are faced with a dilemma related to the structure of “civil society” in Arab countries and the potential for convergence and divergence among its components. This is compounded by the lack of consensus regarding the breadth of the concept of integration (according to the social model) and the possibilities for its implementation, given the ongoing struggle with isolation as a method adopted and financially supported by the state (according to the medical and welfare models). Furthermore, there is a question of how organizations and associations interact with each other, given the weak networking on the one hand, and how to present and formulate their ideas within specific working mechanisms, leading to a national strategy, on the other. Nevertheless, we find that organizations of persons with disabilities always seek to involve persons with disabilities themselves, other affiliated organizations, and civil society institutions, including NGOs and institutions concerned with persons with disabilities, in attempts to make decisions that serve the goals of partial or comprehensive integration, whether to solve a problem facing an individual or to develop an inclusive national plan. This means that the initiative always originates from organizations of persons with disabilities—that is, from persons with disabilities themselves, equipped with sufficient knowledge, appropriate awareness, and working mechanisms that enable them to benefit from the widest range of civic support.

Therefore, civil society organizations (sometimes called non-governmental organizations), including organizations of persons with disabilities, become key contributors to the development and establishment of democracy and human rights.

These organizations, which have self-government, are supposed to be voluntary bodies established to achieve the non-profit goals of their founders or members. The primary activities of civil society organizations are supposed to focus on the values ​​of social justice, human rights, democracy, and the rule of law. Their goal is to promote issues and improve people’s lives. In doing so, civil society organizations are a crucial component of individual participation in an open democratic society, by bringing together a large number of individuals. The fact that many of these individuals are voters determines their complementary relationship with representative democracy.

Civil society organizations can also provide independent knowledge and expertise to the decision-making process. Recognizing this has led national, regional, and local governments in developed countries, as well as international institutions, to leverage the expertise and competencies of relevant civil society organizations to enhance policy formulation and implementation.