A car accident has marked

Talib Afifa’s life forever, but there

are many other things to look

forward to, he tells Nahla Nainar

 

Giving the car keys to a young child and allowing them to drive is like giving them a wheelchair for life. Parents should remember this.” Talib Afifa, media relations chief of the Qatar Society for Rehabilitation of Special Needs (QSRSN), has good reason to sound this warning.

A car collision with another vehicle in 1986 left him crippled at a young age. Talib, who uses a wheelchair, is therefore very much aware of the threat posed by erratic driving to Qatar’s youth.

“It is unfortunate that the number of persons who become disabled as a result of road accidents is on the rise here,” he says.

“I get to see such people almost on a daily basis. What is very perturbing is that some become seriously disabled as a result of road accidents.”

In poignant recognition of his situation, on January 14, Talib was invited by the Traffic Department to present the inaugural document of the 10-year National Road Safety Strategy (NRSS), to the Minister of State for Interior Affairs HE Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa al-Thani at an official function. The NRSS mission is aimed at saving nearly 800 lives and preventing 2,000 serious injuries due to road accidents in the next decade.

“I would like to place on record my thanks on behalf of myself and the society to the HE the Minister for employing the maximum number of disabled in his ministry and for his continuous care and affection for us,” says Talib.

Even though it appears placid outside, Talib’s office at the QSRSN premises which he shares with colleague Salwa Mohamed Dardas on the inner D-Ring road, is a hive of activity.

As one of the earliest signatories to the international agreement on the care for the disabled, Qatar has always accorded high priority to the differently abled section of its population.

Speaking to Gulf Times, Talib is proud to enumerate the services offered by QSRSN, which marked the 20th year of its establishment in April 2012.

The chairman of the board of directors of QSRSN is Sheikh Thani bin Abdullah al-Thani; the deputy chairman is Rabea al-Kabi and the CEO is Ameer al-Mulla.

While efforts to include children with special needs and physical disabilities in mainstream education are ongoing in Qatar, QSRSN works towards promoting equal opportunities for the 4,600 people who avail of its services.

“Every individual’s case is scrutinised by the assessment committee and treatment and care is provided for him or her on a lifelong basis irrespective of the person’s nationality,” says Talib. “Qatar is the only country which has not fixed a ceiling for the amount to be spent on each disabled person.”

The QSRSN also supplies medical equipment like wheelchairs and walking supports, physiotherapy and speech training (Arabic and English), and imparts life skills to help children with special needs develop a degree of independence as they grow older.

The centre has four affiliates: the Social Cultural Centre, established in 1992, Educational Centre for the Handicapped (1993), Boys Rehabilitation Centre and Girls Rehabilitation Centre (both 1999), each employing dedicated teams of medical staff and volunteers.

The Social Cultural Centre offers vocational courses.

At the Educational Centre for the Handicapped, training is offered to children between five to 15 years of age, who have major or medium defects in mental power and those who have multiple disabilities, and are not accepted by mainstream schools.

For the segregated centres, courses such as such as carpentry, pottery, book binding and agriculture (for boys) and tailoring, embroidery, flower arrangement and domestic skills (for girls) are on offer, with a minimum age limit of 14 years.

Among the disabilities considered for rehabilitation by the centre are those related to hearing, mental processes (brain disorders), mobility, vision and isolation. Membership is open to all handicapped people and their caregivers, with a minimum age limit of seven years.

The centre also counsels parents who fear having a disabled child before the childbirth so that they reconcile to the situation without much shock.

“Earlier, disabled people found it hard to gain social acceptance,” says Talib, recalling how the situation has improved today in Qatar. “Now, thanks to the policies of His Highness the Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani, and the educational establishments set up Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, we are all considered equal in Qatar. I am entitled to the same rights and privileges as a ‘normal’ person, and this is the most noticeable change today,” he adds.

“The position we enjoy is enviable because no other country in the region grants such privileges to the disabled. Gone are the days of sympathy with no concrete action.”

With the building boom unleashed across Qatar, Talib Afifa feels that very few architects and contractors have included disability access for wheelchair users in their plans. “In an emergency, how do they expect a person on a wheelchair to descend from the top-floor when the lift is switched off?” he asks. “I think more builders should think of including special fire exits for the disabled, especially in malls and other public areas.”

When asked about how he felt about the road accident that has marked his life forever, he says, “I was depressed for a long time. But slowly, I made myself come out of it. I have completed my school education. I have been employed with the Qatar Society for Rehabilitation of Special Needs since 2007, and am a member of the media committee in the Organisation for Humanitarian Services in Sharjah, UAE.

“Three years ago, I got married. My wife is a graduate, and we hope to have children someday. So there is a lot that I have to live for. What happened was God’s will.”

 

 

 

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