Law to protect rights of people with special needs

Dubai: A new law that protects the rights of people with special needs in Dubai has been issued.

The law was issued yesterday by His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE, in his capacity as Ruler of Dubai, to help integrate this segment into the mainstream of society and contribute to the development process.

Law No 2 of 2014 consolidates cooperation among all relevant bodies in Dubai to provide health care and rehabilitation services to people with special needs, in addition to providing them with a level of education that is on a par with their peers, and public services that include the use of roads, public transportation, and police and judiciary services to ensure their cohesion with other segments of society.

The law is in line with the vision of Shaikh Mohammad to make Dubai a model that is looked up to in boosting participation of people with special needs, and offering them primary services to enhance their position as productive segments of society.

The law contributes to further enhancing integration between all relevant bodies to come up with qualified service infrastructure that gives people with special needs the opportunity to access all sorts of services, providing them with high-quality medical care and social services, and boosting public awareness, which will contribute to integrating people with special needs into society and reaffirming their participation in social development.

The law aims to ensure the rights of all people with special needs, and protecting them from exploitation, discrimination and negligence. The law comes into effect from the date of its issuance and is to be published in the official gazette.

Shaikh Hamdan Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Dubai Crown Prince and Chairman of Dubai Executive Council, issued Resolution No 3 of 2014 setting up Dubai’s Higher Committee for protecting the rights of people with special needs. The resolution named Shaikh Mansour Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum as chairman of the committee.

The resolution to set up the committee is a part of the ‘My community … a city for everyone’ initiative that was launched by Shaikh Hamdan in 2013. The initiative was launched to back the efforts of Dubai to empower people with special needs and aims to make Dubai a special needs-friendly city by 2020.

“We view the special needs segment as an effective and key partner in the community development process, and achieving the high rank that the UAE always aspires to. We aim to empower them further by providing them with opportunities to harness their capabilities and prove their dedication in a qualified and flexible environment that is contributed to by everyone, as a single society in which one segment complements the other,” said Shaikh Hamdan.