RIYADH, 1 April 2004 — Pointing out that laws are no good unless they are enforced, Prince Khaled ibn Sultan, assistant minister of defense and aviation, called for effective measures to address the problems of people with special needs.
Prince Khaled, who is also vice president of Sultan ibn Abdul Aziz Al-Saud Foundation, delivered the keynote address at the Fourth Forum for the Gulf Disability Society at the King Faisal Conference Hall.
The conference had as its theme, “People with Special Needs: From Diagnosis to Employment.” It was organized by the Bahrain-based Gulf Disability Society of the GCC, Sultan ibn Abdul Aziz Foundation and Al-Nahda Philanthropic Society founded by Princess Sarah Al-Faisal ibn Abdul Aziz.
Delegates from the Kingdom, other GCC states and Canada attended the forum, which studied various issues concerning people with special needs as well as the medical aspects involved. For the benefit of Western participants, English translations of the Arabic speeches were provided.
Noting that 10 percent of the world’s population is disabled, Prince Khaled stressed the need for partnerships between businessmen and philanthropic organizations to pool their resources. He said Sultan ibn Abdul Aziz Foundation has played a useful role in contributing to the welfare and rehabilitation of people who suffer from various kinds of disabilities — visual, physical, mental and hearing defects.
Education Minister Dr. Muhammad Al-Rasheed underlined the measures in place for education of children with special needs so that they can be integrated into society. He pointed out that the number of institutes and educational programs for them has increased from 61 to 1,560 over a 10-year period.
“The number of students has also shot up from 8,000 to 40,000. This does not reflect a growing incidence of the problem but rather highlights the increasing awareness of the need to rehabilitate people with special needs.” Labor and Social Affairs Minister Dr. Ali Al-Namlah said that there was a statutory provision under which any organization with a work force of over 50 employees should recruit at least two percent of its manpower from those with special needs.
“It is very sad to see young people who are willing to work but are not accepted for employment because of their disability,” the minister said.
Princess Sarah Al-Faisal, the founder of Al-Nahda Philanthropic Society for Women, thanked Sultan ibn Abdul Aziz Foundation for its constant support and cooperation in assisting people with special needs. An eight-minute documentary shown on the occasion highlighted the foundation’s activities for the disabled.
