Qatar Assistive Technology Centre (Mada) took part in the Annual Youth Conference, Empower 2017, which concluded yesterday.
During the event, Mada hosted a workshop to discuss the fundamentals of accessibility and its universal design.
Ahmed Habib, a policy expert at Mada, led the workshop.
Held at the Hamad Bin Khalifa University Student Centre at Qatar Foundation, the participation in Empower 2017 supported Mada in reaching its strategic goals and teaching others about the importance of building accessible spaces, content and programmes, according to a statement.
Maha al-Mansouri, CEO, Mada, said: “At Mada, we continue to strive to participate in and support local events in Qatar, as they are a great platform for us to bring awareness and share knowledge. We also aim to educate the community about the importance of assistive technology and how much it can change the lives of persons with disabilities and help transform a disability into an ability.
“Empower 2017 is a great opportunity for us to support the youth with disabilities and we hope to help their parents and communities understand that they have the same potential as any person does when they are properly directed to the right assistive technology that suits their individual needs and situation.”
Mada’s strategic goals and operational focus revolve around three key areas: education, employment and community. Through this workshop, Mada was able to educate the youth community – the future generation of content creators, event planners, designers and program co-ordinators – about building a culture of accessibility and inclusion into the workplace.
The Empower 2017 conference addressed a variety of issues related to sustainable development.
The session looked at exploring and challenging the common societal misinterpretations and prejudices of disability, largely derived from traditional models of disability.
Participants at the workshop.
