The event was attended by HE Aisha Al Suwaidi, Executive Director of Human Resources Policies Sector, FAHR, a number of department directors and employees.

At the outset, Ali Ahli, Director of Human Resources and Services Department, explained that the workshop was held as part of the Authority’s keenness to introduce its employees to the rights of an important segment of employees: people of determination. The aim was to identify appropriate methods for dealing with them, providing them with the necessary support and work environments that suit their needs and special conditions, as well as the main challenges facing this important category of workforce.

Speakers at the workshop included Dr. Ahmed Al-Omran, Chairman of the Advisory Council for People of Determination, Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Emirates Association for Visually Impaired, Consultant of Policies and Strategies for Sustainable Development in the Executive Council, Government of Dubai; and Mr. Rawhi Abdat, Educational Psychologist, Ministry of Community Development.

In his presentation delivered at the workshop, Dr. Ahmed Al-Omran explained the several reasons behind the marginalization suffered by persons with disabilities. These include prejudice, perceptions that consider people of determination as a medical case, in addition to   environmental barriers, lack of communication and access to information, and institutional discrimination.

He said that countries around the world adopt different approaches to disability, i.e. charitable approach, social approach and human rights approach.

“The International Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities set out a number of general principles: Recognizing the inherent dignity and worth and the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family as the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world; considering that persons with disabilities should have the opportunity to be actively involved in decision-making processes about policies and programmes, including those directly concerning them; recognizing further the diversity of persons with disabilities, and recognizing that children with disabilities should have full enjoyment of all human rights and fundamental freedoms on an equal basis with other children,” he noted.

Dr. Ahmed Al-Omran then reviewed the great efforts exerted by the United Arab Emirates in taking care and fostering people of determination so as to make them actively participate in society, citing the existence of 83 federal, local and private government centers dedicated for empowering this category across the country.

Barriers People of Determination face at work

Al Omran talked about workplace obstacles facing people of determination, the most important related to selection and recruitment, such as lack of access to vacancy ads, websites where registration forms are submitted, jobs that suit candidates with disabilities, in adequate arrangements for conducting job interviews for persons with disabilities, and absence of specific mechanisms for conducting aptitude tests for people of determination).

As for the challenges facing them in the work environment, Dr. Ahmed Al-Omran said that they can be summed up as follows: lack of reasonable accommodation arrangements in the work environment, and the fact that training needs of this category are not given due consideration. He called on different organizations to take into account the requirements of people of determination while designing facilities, websites, smart applications, as well as services and products, and training reception staff on how to deal with this category.

For his part, Mr. Rawhi Abdat, an educational psychologist from the Department of People of Determination Care and Rehabilitation at the Ministry of Community Development, highlighted the guide to quality standards of People of Determination services, and the tools used to detect noncompliance, which had been prepared by the Department. The guide is based on a strong belief that People of Determination deserve the same quality of life as other people.

He said: “The guide aims at enforcing the rights of this category as set out in the international convention and in local legislation, facilitating their access to available services wherever they are, spreading the culture of quality and excellence in the service delivered to them, and help service providers in obtaining the information available about the services, and how to access them”.

Myths and Misconceptions about People of Determination

Abdat talked about some negative stereotypes and attitudes linked to People of Determination. “Misconceptions about people with disability include that they are not equal to others. People who use wheelchairs are sick. People of Determination feel more comfortable with persons with disabilities like them. Finally, community members have responsibility to sponsor and supervise People of Determination,” he concluded.