Dubai doing its bit for those with disabilities, but are you?

Dubai - His Highness Shaikh Mohammed, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, had last year issued a special law to protect the rights of persons with disabilities.

The Dubai Police have showcased the innovations that they have adopted to cater to people with disabilities. Marking the World Human Rights Day last week, the police organised a forum titled 'Best practices and innovations to protect people with disabilities'.
The two-day forum - organised by the General Department of Human Rights of the Dubai Police in collaboration with the Rashid Centre for the Disabled - was inaugurated by Shaikh Mansour bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairman of the Supreme Committee for Protection of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
Abdulla Al Shaibani, Secretary-General of the Dubai Executive Council, said the UAE leadership attaches great importance to persons with disabilities. He said the protection and integration of persons with disabilities is a priority for the government.
His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, had last year issued a special law to protect the rights of persons with disabilities.
Following this, Shaikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of the Dubai Executive Council, formed a Supreme Committee for Protection of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities to work on the implementation of the law and oversee the launch of initiatives and practical work plans towards this.
Al Shaibani referred to Shaikh Hamdan's "My community... a city for everyone" initiative to transform Dubai into a city friendly to persons with disabilities by 2020. The initiative, he said, is aimed at enabling the promotion and inclusion of people with special needs so that they can participate in economic and social development of Dubai.
Major-General Khamis Mattar Al Mazeina, Commander-in-Chief of the Dubai Police, said: "We mark the World Human Rights Day every year. This year, we chose a theme around people with disabilities. We worked with the Rashid Centre for the Disabled to spread awareness about the rights of people with disabilities and highlight the state's efforts in serving them."
Mariam Othman, director-general of the Rashid Centre for the Disabled, said the UAE has achieved remarkable success in protecting the rights of the people with disabilities.
"Around 13.5 per cent of human beings have disabilities and this should make us realise our humanitarian responsibilities towards them," she said.
Other attendees at the event included Egyptian actor Hussein Fahmim, Special Olympics ambassador for Mena region; Samir Anote, regional advisor for Mena, United Nations Children's Fund; and a number of senior government officials.
amira@khaleejtimes.com

• UAE
• Dubai