Lootah gifts Shaikh Mohammed's book in Braille to disabled employees

Dubai - The presentation of the book coincided with the World Braille Day celebrations.

Eng. Hussain Nasser Lootah, Director General of Dubai Municipality gifted Braille copies of the Flashes of thoughts of Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum to three employees who are visually impaired.

The presentation of the book, which contains the inspirational thoughts and opinions of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai during the panel discussion at the Government Summit 2013, was coincided with the World Braille Day celebrations.

Eng. Marwan Abdulla Al Mohammed, Director of General Projects Department and Head of Dubai Municipality team for people with disabilities said that the Municipality is proactive in developingits strategy for the care of persons with disabilities until 2020.

"Our vision emphasizes the need for providing a joyous decent life, sustainable services and a barrier-free inclusive environment to the people with disabilities that ensures their active participation based on fairness and equality through four bases such as easy access to buildings and facilities; sustainability of services and means of communication and information systems and technology; community partnership and commitment and integration and empowerment of employees," he said.

"We are working to achieve the values of happiness, equality, responsibility, transparency and sustainability in dealing with people with disabilities in the Municipality. There is a general policy for caring people with disabilities aimed at making the Municipality a model for the care and happiness of people with disabilities through the embodiment of their role and enabling them to participate effectively in the community. This will support the directives of the Government of Dubai to transform the emirate of Dubai to an inclusive city fully friendly to people with disabilities by 2020. This will be done through programmes, projects and initiatives aimed at promoting community commitment to people with disabilities and provide all community services to them according to international best practices, and provide opportunities and an environment appropriate for them to work and enable them to sustain their participation as individuals capable of achieving excellence and creativity" said Mohammed.

This will be done through the adoption of policies, plans and initiatives to ensure them of all the rights they are eligible for and to promote respect and dignity and protect them from all forms of discrimination or abuse, neglect and exploitation and provide appropriate working environment that encourages people with disabilities to take initiatives and creativity, and enable them perform their work through the development of their skills and training with equality with others on the Municipality, in addition to encourage other employees working with them to undergo training to improve the working environment and providing assistance and services for this category. We should also encourage their skills, competencies and creativity and enhance their contributions to the workplace, and give care, develop and support their participation in community initiatives and exchange successful experiences and demonstrate their ability for giving and also spread the culture on creating awareness on the rights of persons with disabilities and support its popularization throughout the Municipality," he said.

"The Municipality policy also includes establishing procedures and plans to ensure the readiness of Municipality facilities and buildings to evacuate persons with disabilities in emergency situations and ensure effective partnerships with departments and relevant authorities with a view to promoting community commitment to this group and the creation of services and means of communication and information systems appropriate to meet the needs of people with technology disabilities to ensure sustainability of services provided to all segments of society," said Mohammed.

Mona Khalifa Bin Hammad, Organizational Excellence Expert and Acting Head of the Team for Disabled People in the Municipality said that the three employees who were gifted the books were Mohammed Hassan Gharib Al Housani, Support Officer at Sewage Treatment Plant Department, Ahmed Ali Al Housani, Administrative Support Officer in the Architectural Heritage Department and Hind Abdul Bari Bin Souqat of Human Resources Department.

She said the Municipality has also prepared a set of publications in Braille, which include how to deal with people with disabilities and the policy of the Municipality on taking care of people with disabilities and how to communicate with 800900, which is the phone number of the Municipality Call Centre as well as the Suggestions and Complaints Guide.

The Municipality has also distributed these publications to all organizational units and service centres aimed at better dealing with employees with disability.

She also said that all Call Centre staff have been trained to deal with people with disabilities the Human Resources staff and the counter staff were also trained for dealing with this category.

reporters@khaleejtimes.com

• Dubai