Abu Dhabi: People of determination in the UAE will soon have a first-of-its-kind social media platform.
The platform enables supporters of inclusion in local communities to connect, collaborate with each other and empower the movement of inclusion of people of determination into the community.
It is being launched by Inclusive, a collaborative platform of communication between individuals, special centres, policymakers, government bodies, institutions and enterprises that uphold inclusion of people with different abilities.
Inclusive has been accepted among the first cohort of Ma’an Social Incubator as one of 10 start-ups. The first cohort of Ma’an Abu Dhabi Social Incubation found solutions for people of determination to accelerate social innovation and build the community in Abu Dhabi.
Winning as the top 10 social enterprises out of over 500 applications received from across the world has given Inclusive the resources required to positively impact the lives of people of determination and all supporters of inclusion in the UAE.
Secure space
The platform aims to welcome its growing database of supporters to sign-in to web app and utilise its features in mid-March. Inclusive will provide a secure, online and accessible space for everyone with all abilities to discuss and action inclusion of people of determination into their local communities. It will also serve as an online umbrella for all things related to inclusion so the community can collaborate to integrate inclusion of people of determination into everyday activities and events.
Project with a purpose
The initiative is founded by Hafsa Qadeer, who created Inclusive driven by the lack of credible information and accessible activities for her sibling, Ahmad Qadeer, a person of determination who was diagnosed with Spinal Bifida at birth.
“Growing up, I realised it’s not people who are disabled, but the approach of a community towards a Person of Determination can be disabled and unequal. It’s important to realize inclusion is a generalized behaviour within communities. Through our three pillars: community, awareness and opportunity and under our initiative #IAmInclusive, we encourage everyone in the community to collaborate with us and make their programs more inclusive, We are here as catalysts to facilitate this transition to more inclusive communities,” said Qadeer.
Positive response
“Through our social media platform, we can integrate inclusion in daily lifestyles, and we are grateful for the positive response our initiatives receive from residents and nationals of the UAE.”
To date, Inclusive has organized three nationwide campaigns, including an online recipe contest in the UAE for teams of determination, in collaboration with Abu Dhabi Culinary Season. It continues to collaborate with over 15 community partners in the UAE, including the Mohammad Bin Rashid Centre for Special Education, to organise accessible events in different emirates.
