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Private units for care of disabled proposed

A source at the ministry said that the proposed law will enable the establishment of private establishments such as centres and institutes that provide care and rehabilitation services for people with partial or full physical, mental, psychological or educational disabilities which prevent them from leading normal lives.

This law is expected to give a big boost to the services and facilities delivered to the people with special needs in the country.

While the law on the special people’s rights is still being drafted and discussed after the ministry received the observations of the establishments concerned including the Sharjah City for Humanitarian Services and other organisations, the federal draft law on the establishment of non-government care and rehabilitation organisations had been finalised and submitted to the higher authorities for further consideration.

“The ministry felt the need to legalise the functioning of the non-governmental establishments and centres offering educational, rehabilitation and treatment facilities for the special need people, which are at present functioning with permission by local governments.

Besides bringing the existing establishments under the federal umbrella and under the supervision of the ministry, where their functions will be monitored and organised, the law will also allow the setting up of new private establishments,” the source said, adding that the original idea was to issue a cabinet order allowing the setup of such establishments but later the ministry opted for a federal law.

Under the proposed law, the private establishment is an organisation offering special education in the form of programmes, educational and rehabilitation services to the people with special needs with the aim of developing their abilities and help them integrate with society.

Such establishments should provide rehabilitation services that will enable the special people to practise their lives in a better way at the physical, social, mental, professional and psychological levels.

The draft law proposes that the ministry handles the licensing of such establishments in the light of the needs of the area where the establishment will be located. The licence will be given on annual basis and the licensing fees will be specified by a cabinet order, in addition to the renewal fees and the fines.

The establishment licensed by the ministry will be committed to furnishing at the beginning of each semester or year the list of fees to be collected from students and the dates of collection, details about the curricula, samples of the books to be taught to students, in addition to seeking the ministry’s permission prior to introducing any changes to the fee structure or the syllabus.

The establishments will also be obliged to implement the ministry’s rules and regulations and to provide a full annual report on their programmes and activities during the year.

The law lists a number of conditions for licensing the private care and rehabilitation establishments including the need to have a UAE national owner aged 25 years and above if the applicant is an individual. If the applicant is an individual company it has to be fully owned by a UAE national, but if it is a national company, the UAE national partner should have 51 per cent of the stakes, should be registered with the authorities concerned and should be working in the UAE.

The law stipulated that the establishment should have a proper building in a suitable location and should be provided with all the facilities and utilities adapted to cater to the disabled.

Under the proposed law, the existing non-government establishment have to complete the licensing and registration procedures with the ministry within a year from the date of implementing the law.

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