Despite the fact that people with disabilities in Saudi Arabia have gained the right to study at government universities and work in both private and government sectors, many believe that they are still an ignored group of society in terms of marriage.
Al-Bakri agrees with them: “Handicapped people face difficulties in almost every step they want to take. Society and the government have never given them their rights.”
He added, “Most families refuse to marry their healthy son or daughter to a handicapped person. One of the reasons is that the handicapped always suffers from financial problems. If the Ministry of Social Affairs facilitates loans to a handicapped and offers job opportunities with high fees, the society may change its view and accept the marriage of a handicapped to an able-bodied person.”
Some people encourage marriages between two handicapped persons, but this is from Al-Bakri’s point of view a “negative step.”
“Marriage of disabled couples could make life more difficult, especially with the absence of well-equipped apartments, hospitals, malls, and government offices for handicapped.” He also believed that such step might increase the rate of handicapped people, as two handicapped have a bigger chance to get disabled offspring.
Al-Bakri confirmed that he discussed the rights of handicapped people in the Shoura Council more than once, but there were no responses from governmental associations.
“We called several times for facilitating marriage of handicapped people by offering them special apartments, loans, and job opportunities. We also called for equipment in the street to facilitate the movement of handicapped. In the Kingdom, we issued many decisions, but there is no executive plan to ensure implementation of the decisions, “ said Al-Bakri.
Arab News spoke to assistant secretary-general of the Disabled Children's Association Dr. Abdullah Al-Dukhail, who said that the association did not present any help in terms of marriage of handicapped. Amira Noor, a Saudi blind woman, narrated her story: “I got married two years ago, when I was 32 years old. In the past, I was thinking of marriage, but there were no opportunities. My family refused my marriage with a man who could not walk, because they believed life would be very difficult for two disabled persons,” she said.
Amira added, “Recently, my neighbor told me that she knew a healthy elderly man who wanted to marry. I accepted this marriage because I was 30, and my chance to get married was very small.”
According to Amira, her family also accepted the marriage despite the age difference, because the groom had no disabilities.
Ajlan D., a Saudi handicapped man, got married to a deaf Saudi woman just to make sure that both of them were equal.
“I am suffering from a movement disability. Getting married to a non-handicapped woman was not a dream for me, as I believe such marriage would end with divorce or cheating. I know how the Saudi society mistreats the handicapped, so I preferred to marry a deaf woman,” he said.
