Online meeting held by "ESCWA" in cooperation with the League of Arab States, Bahrain reviews its experience in serving disabled in light of "Corona"

24-06-2020

Assistant Undersecretary for Social Care and Rehabilitation at the Ministry of Labour and Social Development, Shaikha Aisha bint Ali Al Khalifa, participated in the High-level Meeting to Support Persons with Disabilities during COVID-19 in the Arab Region. The meeting was held via videoconference by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA), in cooperation with the League of Arab States and the Arab Organization for Persons with Disabilities (AOPD), with the participation of representatives from the League of Arab States and the Special Envoy of the UN Secretary‑General on Disability, on Wednesday. The meeting aims to coordinate with partners and governments on addressing the repercussions of the COVID‑19 pandemic and its impact on people with disabilities. It also aims to identify national initiatives in this regard and provide a platform to review the various experiences and mechanisms developed by countries to protect societies from this pandemic and its health, social, and economic impacts on this group, serving them, empowering them, and integrating them into society. During the meeting, the Assistant Undersecretary for Social Care and Rehabilitation reviewed the Kingdom of Bahrain’s efforts to care for and protect people with disabilities in light of the exceptional global circumstances. The number of people with disabilities amounts to approximately 12,000. The Ministry of Labour and Social Development continued to provide comprehensive services to them, including a monthly financial allowance of 100 dinars, in addition to continuing to provide care and rehabilitation services to people with disabilities through a number of other support services and various programmes provided to the aforementioned category. This was achieved through governmental, civil and private rehabilitation centres, by activating the distance learning and training service, after suspending attendance therein from last February until mid‑June, to protect students and preserve their health. Electronic lessons and rehabilitation sessions were implemented through distance learning systems. She explained that the total number of students with disabilities benefiting from these centres amounts to 1,562 students, benefiting from 6 government centres, 15 civil rehabilitation centres that are managed by civil society organisations and supported by the Ministry annually with an amount of 1.2 million dinars, and 18 private rehabilitation centres. Shaikha Aisha bint Ali Al Khalifa pointed out the continuation of community partnerships with civil society organisations in operating mobile units for people with disabilities and continuing to provide driving training services for them in partnership with the General Directorate of Traffic at the Ministry of Interior. She noted that the Ministry continues to process citizens’ requests for disability allowance services and the provision of devices and aids for them, in addition to coordinating and cooperating with the Information and eGovernment Authority to launch the national identity card for citizens, which integrates the type of disability. The meeting discussed the efforts made by all relevant parties to support and assist people with disabilities at this time. The meeting also reviewed the results of the survey conducted by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) and the awareness materials issued targeting people with disabilities, published on websites. It also highlighted the role of the League of Arab States in strengthening efforts to ensure that economic and social policies address the needs of people with disabilities during and after the pandemic.