Qatar has stressed its keenness to continue implementing the obligations towards the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, noting that it spares no effort to foster, protect, empower and integrate persons with disabilities at the national and international levels.

This came in a statement delivered by HE ambassador Sheikha Alia Ahmed bin Saif al-Thani, the Permanent Representative of Qatar to the United Nations, at the 11th session of the Conference of States Parties to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, which began on Tuesday at the UN headquarters in New York.
“Qatar was among the first States to ratify the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in 2008,” she recalled. Since then, Qatar has made great strides in achieving and embedding the principles and foundations of Qatar's National Vision 2030, including achieving equality and justice for all groups and sectors of society, including persons with disabilities.
“Qatar has made continuous efforts to promote the rights of persons with disabilities in terms of addressing their rights and issues in detail in the relevant legislation and laws and providing resources necessary for implementation at the executive level in various fields (education, healthcare, employment, adequate housing and access to public and private facilities as well as cultural and sports facilities, etc.), ensuring that they are not left behind by the rapid development of Qatar,” she said.
The ambassador pointed out many plans and strategies for persons with disabilities adopted by Qatar, most recently the National Autism Plan 2017-2021 to improve the lives of people with autism and their families.
"We are proud that Qatar is now considered to be among the developed countries in the field of care for persons with disabilities. Qatar currently has 34 bodies that offer specialised services for people with disabilities."
Sheikha Alia reiterated that Qatar believes in the importance of investing in Information and Communication Technology to unlock the potential of people with disabilities and help them achieve independence and self-reliance. For this purpose, it launched the Digital Inclusion Strategy and the Mada Assistive Technology Center, which is working hard to help people with disabilities to attain their goals and access to equal opportunities in education and work so that they can live independently.
In this context, the ambassador referred to Gulf Region Education Assistive Technology (GREAT) organised by the Mada Center in April 2018 under the auspices of the Ministry of Transport and Communications, in co-operation with the Ministry of Education, Hamad Bin Khalifa University and the US Assistive Technology Industry Association.
Sheikha Alia noted that the national institutions working with persons with disabilities based their efforts and plans on accurate field surveys in order to integrate people with disabilities into the community. The field surveys are conducted from time to time, she said, referring to the model disability survey carried out by the Ministry of Development Planning and Statistics in October 2017 in co-operation with the Mada Center and the World Health Organisation.
The survey provided info on the needs of persons with disabilities, identified types of disabilities in the State, and provided analysis of data and data collected in order to promote integration within society.
“Qatar is also keen to share its experience in the field of the rights of persons with disabilities at all local, regional and international forums and conferences,” Sheikha Alia added.

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