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Ministry waives fees for autistic patients |
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7/15/2006 8:44:30 AM |
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DUBAI — In a significant effort to create jobs for people with special needs irrespective of their nationality, the Ministry of Labour has decided to exempt autism patients from all fees. This was disclosed by Labour Minister Dr Ali bin Abdullah Al Kaabi to reporters in Dubai recently. He said the autism patients will be issued special cards entitling them to many services and facilities.
The decision is designed to facilitate the entry of people with special needs into the labour market thereby helping them join the mainstream of the society and develop their potential, he said.
In order to achieve this objective, the Ministry of Labour had completed the electronic link with Zayed Higher Foundation for Humanitarian Welfare (ZHFFHW) by listing all the names exempted from the charges, in the software network system.
The names of 33 autism patients will be first entered in the system as a beginning. The names of other patients will be included later after they are suitably trained for employment, he noted. Autism patients, both nationals and expatriates
alike, will be eligible for the waiver of charges.
The conference was attended by Mohammed Al Hamili, Vice-President and Secretary General of ZHFFHW, Naima Al Mansouri, member of the board of directors at ZHFFHW, Mariam Al Qubaisi, Sectional head of people with special needs at the Foundation and Amwal Ahmed Abdul Karim, Director of the Abu Dhabi Autism Center.
The exemption from the charges will be granted to patients who are over 18 years old, and qualified to enter the labour market and take up jobs, he stressed.
"The Ministry is pursuing this scheme to ensure the integration of people with special needs in the society, and to practically demonstrate that disability cannot obstruct the will,'' he said adding, ''We do not want to distinguish between the disabled and unimpaired persons, because if the handicapped are given a chance and trained, they will turn into productive persons.''
Dr Kaabi said the ministry is opening its doors wide for people with special needs, as it has already had a full-integrated scheme for helping the segments of special needs.
The current scheme, which had been formulated since a year and half ago, and in which all the bodies concerned took part in, is meant for patients of autism, he recalled.
The Ministry is setting up small-size projects for the people with special needs, he disclosed. ''It is working with National Human Resources and Employment Authority (Tanmia) to push the project into its final shape.
Elaborating, he said the scheme, better known, as ‘Emarati project’ will function as an autonomous body with main task of extending assistance to the persons with special needs. Under the scheme, people with special needs will be provided with opportunities to own shops or work in transactions clearance offices for all companies and establishments. The Ministry will give them the priority in producing and finalising the transactions at the ministry's counters, he noted. The dealings clearance offices run by the handicapped will be at lower prices, and the dealings they submit will be finalised quickly. They will also be provided with additional benefits through the e-system linking their offices to the Ministry, he said. |
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