Special needs individuals deserve equal opportunity

The beauty of living in the UAE is that it is a society built on respect and shared values. A fundamental principle is inclusiveness of all. Last week more than 100 people with special needs participated in the first UAE-wide skills challenge, a series of 12 skills-related competitions that aimed to identify the unique abilities in participants.

These included competitions in word processing, Powerpoint, poster design, web page design, henna painting, embroidery, pot painting, flower arrangement, basket weaving, waste reuse art and wood carving. The range of skills isn’t as important however, as the overriding principle — every participant has skills to offer, just as every able-bodied and unchallenged person has skills to offer.

Raising awareness of those skills is as important as integrating all as full members of society, accepting all as individuals, not as persons with special needs or disabilities.

Sure, the competitions help develop motor skills, but they also raise awareness for all that our UAE society is a tapestry woven by many strands, with individuals with specials needs playing an equal role.