HIDDEN STRUGGLE: STATELESS WITH DISABILITIES While stateless individuals with disabilities deal with struggles similar to those faced by any other disabled person, they face extra challenges accessing healthcare and education. Fieldwork helped uncover another hidden struggle among stateless households, those with physical or mental disabilities. In addition to stateless persons with disabilities (PwDs) encountered during the survey process, key informants highlighted the need to look after these communities. The doctor of the Tahaddi health center in Hay el Gharbi hence emphasized that the majority of his patients with disabilities were from the Dom population. This might be linked to high rates of endogamous marriages in this population. Moreover, the PwDs met showed little awareness of their rights in terms of healthcare, namely the support provided by the MoPH and MoSA. During a focus group discussion held with stateless persons, the different services granted to PwDs by national authorities were not known. Ultimately, MoPH ceased to subsidize hospitalization as the financial crisis grew stronger, seriously impacting the ability of PwDs to afford medical care and social support. Some organizations were mentioned as providing hearing aids, wheelchairs, and walkers. However, some others allegedly refuse to support stateless PwDs because of their legal condition. Stateless PwDs are also barred from receiving an education, with many schools failing to enroll them. This was portrayed during the field work as well as focus group discussions. Several people disclosed how stateless children — particularly those with special needs — are no longer welcome in public schools. In this struggle, Lebanese and stateless PwDs are directly affected by the impact of the socioeconomic crisis, as their ability to access aid, special care and services is now jeopardized. “ My child has down syndrome. He needs a scan for his heart but I can’t afford it. How is that supposed to make me feel? Or him? — Mother of a child with special needs, focus group “ If I did not know anyone from the school's administration, my children would be deprived of an education! — Mother of a stateless girl with special needs, focus group discussion © 2023 Siren Associates. All Rights Reserved. 77