Forum for people with disabilities begins tomorrow
Published: 04:04 PM,Apr 29,2023 | EDITED : 08:04 PM,Apr 29,2023
MUSCAT: The first forum for people with disabilities is to begin on Monday at the Oman Convention and Exhibition Centre.
The Ministry of Social Development is organising the three-day forum themed 'Integration and Empowerment in strategic partnership with Oman Energy Association and HDCD Center, Human Development Center for the Disabled.
During the forum, there will be a lab focusing on three main areas -- Education, Health and Society.
The Under-Secretary of the Ministry of Social Development, Shaikh Rashid bin Ahmed al Shamsi, said after the workshops, there will be recommendations, and they will be considered to be implemented immediately after the forum.
There will also be a platform for inventors who have disabilities, said Hamoud al Shabibi, Head of the Department for the Welfare of Disabled People at the Ministry of Social Development.
The Oman Exhibition and Convention Centre will be made entirely accessible, and the Mwasalat buses will be available for transportation. There will also be extra wheelchairs provided to make the venue accessible to all.
The forum will focus on the healthcare system and quality of life of people with disabilities, education and employability of people with disability and the third topic will address society's role along with the role of government entities and families.
Oman Energy Association's CEO, AbdulRahman al Yahyai said, 'It is going to be an outstanding forum to exchange information and networking because all the stakeholders responsible for providing services to people with disability are going to be under one roof. So it is going to be a great opportunity. I think this forum will be a grand success as it will inspire people with disabilities to achieve their goals and empower themselves to contribute to the development in line with Oman Vision 2040 as well as greater inclusion of people with disability into society.'
The form will continue every other year with new topics tackling challenges faced by individuals with disabilities.
One of the main challenges has been mobility. The movement of people, the availability of equipment, vehicle with accessibilities as well as the affordability of converting the vehicles are some of the challenges faced by individuals and families. Some individuals are far away from the centres that provide services, which makes transportation a necessity. Technology has advanced; some of these will be showcased at the conference. Banks and certain government entities will also be showcasing their services.
Ominvest supports the lab, and the ESG and Sustainability manager, Feras al Farsi, said, 'The lab will be launched during the forum that will continue for six months with multiple meetings and workshops. Hopefully, coming out of this forum will be actions that will improve the quality of life of people with disabilities. Ominvest is interested in sustainable development, and this conference is not just discussions but policies are going to come out of it and changes in governance as well.'
There are also going to be awareness programmes, processes in the healthcare system, employment, sports for people with special needs.
Other government entities, such as the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Education and Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation etc, are also involved.
The Ministry of Social Development is organising the three-day forum themed 'Integration and Empowerment in strategic partnership with Oman Energy Association and HDCD Center, Human Development Center for the Disabled.
During the forum, there will be a lab focusing on three main areas -- Education, Health and Society.
The Under-Secretary of the Ministry of Social Development, Shaikh Rashid bin Ahmed al Shamsi, said after the workshops, there will be recommendations, and they will be considered to be implemented immediately after the forum.
There will also be a platform for inventors who have disabilities, said Hamoud al Shabibi, Head of the Department for the Welfare of Disabled People at the Ministry of Social Development.
The Oman Exhibition and Convention Centre will be made entirely accessible, and the Mwasalat buses will be available for transportation. There will also be extra wheelchairs provided to make the venue accessible to all.
The forum will focus on the healthcare system and quality of life of people with disabilities, education and employability of people with disability and the third topic will address society's role along with the role of government entities and families.
Oman Energy Association's CEO, AbdulRahman al Yahyai said, 'It is going to be an outstanding forum to exchange information and networking because all the stakeholders responsible for providing services to people with disability are going to be under one roof. So it is going to be a great opportunity. I think this forum will be a grand success as it will inspire people with disabilities to achieve their goals and empower themselves to contribute to the development in line with Oman Vision 2040 as well as greater inclusion of people with disability into society.'
The form will continue every other year with new topics tackling challenges faced by individuals with disabilities.
One of the main challenges has been mobility. The movement of people, the availability of equipment, vehicle with accessibilities as well as the affordability of converting the vehicles are some of the challenges faced by individuals and families. Some individuals are far away from the centres that provide services, which makes transportation a necessity. Technology has advanced; some of these will be showcased at the conference. Banks and certain government entities will also be showcasing their services.
Ominvest supports the lab, and the ESG and Sustainability manager, Feras al Farsi, said, 'The lab will be launched during the forum that will continue for six months with multiple meetings and workshops. Hopefully, coming out of this forum will be actions that will improve the quality of life of people with disabilities. Ominvest is interested in sustainable development, and this conference is not just discussions but policies are going to come out of it and changes in governance as well.'
There are also going to be awareness programmes, processes in the healthcare system, employment, sports for people with special needs.
Other government entities, such as the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Education and Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation etc, are also involved.