Support and empower students with disabilities to complete their university education

As part of the outcomes of the Edu4ALL project, led by Palestine Technical University – Kadoorie in partnership with Al-Ummah College – Jerusalem, and a number of partners, universities, and institutions in Palestine, Jordan, and the European Union, which aims to support and empower students with disabilities to complete their university education, the Support and Access Empowerment Unit was established and launched at Al-Ummah College in mid-2023. The unit was equipped with the latest equipment, software, and modern technologies, and a number of faculty members, administrative, and technical staff were trained locally and internationally. This initiative encouraged the college administration to seek accreditation for a professional diploma program aimed at graduating technicians specialized in assistive technology for empowering people with disabilities. This program seeks to transfer the knowledge and expertise gained by the college’s training staff to students interested in specializing in this vital and unique field, which addresses a part of the labor market’s need for specialists and skilled professionals in assistive technology for supporting and empowering people with disabilities. Moreover, this contributes to the sustainability of the Edu4ALL project’s benefits, not only by helping and empowering students with disabilities at the college to complete their university education but also by supplying the labor market with specialized technicians in this field. By the grace of God, the college obtained accreditation for this program from the Palestinian Ministry of Labor on February 11, 2024. The program was launched, and registration opened for it in mid-2024.