The State of Qatar recently participated in the 12th session of the Conference of States Parties to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities at UN headquarters in New York, where Qatar also organised a panel discussion to highlight the role assistive technologies can play in helping people with autism.
The panel organised by Qatar’s Permanent Representative to the UN, H E Sheikha Alya bint Ahmed Al Thani, emphasised and showcased how assistive technologies can support autistic people in education as well as at workplaces to ensure that people with autism and special needs can fully participate in the public life.
The Ambassador and other officials from the Ministry of Administrative Development, Labor and Social Affair showcased the State of Qatar’s pioneering role in support technology facilitation to help people with autism and people with disabilities through research. The Qatari delegation at the summit reaffirmed Qatar’s commitment to empower people with special needs in all walks of life and enable them to live a happy, healthy and independent life.
That the state of Qatar is the only country in the region that has a national plan for people with autism, shows the country’s commitment to the dignity, right, and well-being of the people with disabilities. Qatar is also among the few countries that have a work day for persons with disabilities. Doha will also host the International Conference on the Comprehensive Development of Persons with Disabilities in December this year.
The Qatari delegation rightly called for improving national policies and laws to support technology for people with autism, stressing the importance of providing assistive technology products and ensuring the creation of barrier-free environment. Scientific research and the development of assistive technology and raising families’ awareness of the importance of assistive technology can go a long way in integrating and empowering people with special needs. Persons with disabilities are an integral part of the society and have great potential to contribute to a country’s growth and development.
In line with the Qatar National Vision 2030, the State of Qatar has taken a number of initiatives to integrate, facilitate and provide equal opportunities to people with disabilities and make Qatar an inclusive society.
Qatar was among the first countries to sign the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and has been working restlessly to develop and enhance the quality of services offered to people with disabilities, enabling them to reach their full potential. Some of the initiatives the State of Qatar has undertaken in this regard include “Order” service, Emergency Service for the Deaf, and Social Assistance Allowance for the Persons with Disabilities. Qatar Assistive Technology Center (Mada) was founded in 2010 to work on assistive technology to empower people with disabilities.
