Saudi Arabia spending millions on disability programs

From Arab News:

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia -- The Ministry of Social Affairs is spending over SR300 million on programs for people with special needs and has accredited 615 nongovernmental organizations devoted to helping the handicapped, according to Shoura member and Disabled Children’s Association Vice President Abdul Rahman Al-Swailem.

The official was speaking at a two-day seminar organized to discuss an Arab strategy to implement international agreements on the rights of people with special needs. The ministry and the Arab League jointly organized the event that concluded yesterday.

Social Affairs Minister Yousuf Al-Othaimeen gave a speech underscoring regional efforts to help people with special needs.

Prince Sultan bin Salman, chairman of Prince Salman Center for Disability Research and director of the Disabled Children’s Association, said the Kingdom does not deal with the disability issues as a public relations opportunity but rather as a fundamental national obligation that requires a great deal of attention. “We are not content with the progress that has been made. We aim at being distinguished for taking the disabled to new horizons,” said Prince Sultan during the launch of the seminar on Tuesday.

Chairing the second day’s sessions, Bandar Al-Aiban, president of the governmental Human Right Commission (HRC), said rights of people with physical and mental disabilities is an inseparable part of the general human rights.

“Dignity and independence are of the main goals of the international agreements concerning the disabled,” he said.

Talat Al-Waznah, who represented the Kingdom at the signing of international agreements, stressed the importance of the governments’ roles in fulfilling the responsibilities.

“Upon signing international agreements, the governments take on a major responsibility of executing at least the agreements’ articles,” said Al-Waznah.

Al-Swailem pointed out that the Prince Salman Center for Disability Studies and Research has a budget of SR8 million, with 68 employees.

“It has detected 16 hereditary diseases through studies on 300,000 children,” he said. “Three hundred and sixty four cases were diagnosed and treated, avoiding disability.”

Eight workshops, including one on the rights of the disabled and another on international cooperation in the field, were conducted during the seminar.