New initiative aims to help those with special needs

Dubai: A new initiative to promote the hiring of staff with special needs was launched Wednesday by the Community Development Authority (CDA) under the slogan "I am a Person".

The initiative aims to help people with special needs, especially those who are mentally challenged, find jobs.

Khalid Al Kamdah, Director General of the Community Development Authority, said the programme provides services for job seekers as well as employers. The process starts with the assessment of applicants to identify their abilities, skills and any challenges they might face.

A team from the authority then assists candidates to create a CV containing information on their abilities and disabilities and the kind of support they will need, following which the team arranges for interviews and provides both support and professional training.

The role of the authority does not end with the employment of the candidate, Al Kamdah said, adding that job counselling is provided to the candidate before and after they get the job to ensure sustainability and productivity.

For employers, the authority can conduct accessibility checking for the job environment and issue a comprehensive recommendation-based report.

It also offers extensive awareness sessions on special needs people to business partners before they employ a disabled person.

Shaikh Maktoum Bin Butti Al Maktoum, CEO of Special Care Sector, said the objective of the programme is not only to find a suitable job for people with disabilities. It also helps to evaluate and measure individual performance.

"The programme assists in finding jobs that suit the abilities and skills of the people, while vocational guidance and individual follow-up will ensure continuity to their personal development," he said.

Since the soft launch of the programme in February, three young Emirati men have been employed — two of them by the authority, while the third, Mohammad, by an electronics showroom, where he arranges spare part orders and logistics.

Do you have a colleague with special needs? Or do you know someone who has faced difficulty in finding a job? How active is your office in employing people with special needs?