MOVE: QADER Carries Out a Series of Trainings for a Number of Institutions Working in the Field of Disability in Palestine

QADER for Community Development finishes another phase of in-depth training for specialists in the field of rehabilitation for children with moderate to severe disabilities. This activity targeted Star Mountain Rehabilitation Center and Jasmine Charitable Society in Ramallah, where 25 members from both institutions participated, in order to contribute to the development of the quality of services provided to children with disabilities within these institutions.

The 3-day training introduced to the participants the MOVE methodology - Movement for learning & Life, which is a programme designed to improve functional motor skills and empower children and adults with severe and complex disabilities to be independent in some parts of their lives.

The MOVE programme uses a methodology that is centered around individuals and their families in order to develop an individual movement programme. Either the individuals themselves or the family participate in setting the goals of the individual program, which gives them greater motivation to work according to this program.

Through the establishment of the "Forum for Institutions Working with Severe Disabilities", the importance of disseminating the MOVE methodology and adopting it as an effective and advanced methodology in the field of working with people with severe disabilities in Palestine was emphasized.

The training was implemented by Raghda Al-Azza, a certified national trainer for the MOVE methodology in Palestine.

Al-Azza said that MOVE programme was established in Palestine in 2007 by a group of rehabilitation specialists with the help of AISPO, and with the support of the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation in Jerusalem.

The founders had one goal, which is to help children with severe and complex disabilities and their families to cope with the difficult living conditions they live in within their homes. QADER is the only official body qualified to give this specialized training in Palestine, as it is the first organization that introduced and developed this methodology, which they have since passed on to the rest of Palestinian organizations.

“QADER seeks to popularize the "MOVE" methodology, not only at the national level”, said Al-Azza, “but there is a plan to popularize it and pass it on to neighboring Arab countries and work to develop it on a regional basis.”

One of QADER’s primary goals is to promote full citizenship and real participation of people with disabilities in Palestine in all aspects of life, as well as to address the issue of disability from a human rights lens, and creating models and policies that enable stakeholders to achieve the best results in integrating persons with disabilities.