Feb 17, 2014
RIYADH: The Prince Salman Center for Disability Research (PSCDR) announced Sunday the completion of one of its major projects on universal accessibility to basic facilities following the issuance of a royal decree approving it as a national project.
The project aims to create a barrier-free environment that facilitates the full participation of people with disabilities. It involves equal access to education, health care and communications technologies, as well electronic and emergency services.
The announcement was made by PSCDR Chairman Prince Sultan bin Salman at a symposium on universal accessibility held at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel. Prince Mansour bin Miteb, minister of Municipal and Rural Affairs, and Saudi officials were also present during the event.
In a previous statement, Prince Sultan said that the program is an important part of the center’s care for people with disabilities.
“The Supreme Council for the Welfare of the Disabled will determine the engineering and architectural needs for building such facilities,” he said.
“People with disabilities are in need of rehabilitation, training, education and medical treatment. All these facilities need venues,” he said.
According to a report, there are more than 1 billion people with disabilities worldwide. More 15 percent of the population in every country has some kind of disability, a fact that is often under-represented in national statistics. People with disabilities often have to move around with companions, affecting up to 25 percent of the population.
In 2012, the PSCDR hosted an international forum on universal accessibility and how to facilitate access in transportation methods.
Participants in the forum also shared international experiences in the field.
In a statement made to Arab News,
Mukhtar Al-Shibani, president of the
Global Alliance on Accessible Technologies and Environments (GAATES), said that accessibility for people with disabilities should be established within a sustainably built social and virtual environment.
This includes architectural and infrastructural design, transportation systems, electronic information and communication technologies.
Betty Dion, former president of GAATES, said accessibility should be incorporated in a universal design template without the need for adaptation.
“We must be able to enable individuals with disabilities to live independently and participate fully in all aspects of life and provide them equal access to facilities such as transport and education. This, by default, involves eliminating obstacles in popular outlets such as buildings, transport methods and indoor and outdoor facilities, including schools, houses, medical facilities and workplaces,” she said.
She also emphasized that measures are needed to ensure the safety of the disabled during armed conflicts, humanitarian emergencies and natural disasters.
Source: Arab News