Qatar National Library hosted a panel of experts to discuss national efforts to provide equal opportunities for people with disabilities.
Dubbed “Equity for All: Social Inclusion in Qatar,” the 5 June event brought together professionals from various private organizations who are experts on disability issues and needs to assess the employment prospects of people with disabilities and weigh measures to improve their access to social activities and networking events.
The panel is the latest in a series of events organized by the Library as part of its wider efforts to serve the diverse needs of all community members.
During the first session, Mr. Abdullah Ibrahim Al-Mulla, Chairman of the Qatari Social Cultural Center for the Deaf, was joined by Dr. Khaled Al Nuaimi, President of the Arab Union of the Blind, and Ms. Hamda Al-Hitmi, Head of the Autism Families Platform, to discuss the challenges that people with disabilities face in Qatar.
Mr. Abdullah Ibrahim Al-Mulla emphasized in his speech the urgent and pressing need for sign language interpreters in Qatar to enhance communication with the deaf community. He underscored the importance of providing educational courses in sign language and highlighted the readiness of the Qatari Social and Cultural Center for the Deaf to supply the necessary training staff to conduct these educational courses and training workshops in sign language.Disability research and policy was the focus of the second round of discussions, which featured Mr. Mike Park, ICT Accessibility Consultant at Mada – Qatar Assistive Technology Center, along with Ms. Sabika Shaban, Academic Journals and Publications Specialist at Hamad Bin Khalifa University, and Ms. Ghanimeh Saleh El Taweel, Affiliate Instructor at HBKU.
The sessions included a presentation on the key services provided by the Library for individuals with physical disabilities, special needs and autism. Commenting on the discussions, Abeer Al Kuwari, Director of Research and Learning Services at Qatar National Library, said the event reflects the Library’s commitment to catering to the unique needs of every community member regardless of their background or abilities.
“Since its foundation, the Library has endeavored to promote the values of equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility, which continue to guide our activities,” she said.
The Library provided interpretation for the seminar from Arabic to English, in addition to sign language interpretation, given that a significant portion of the seminar's audience consisted of individuals with disabilities.
Over the years, the Library has dedicated special attention to raise awareness about special needs and disability and has strived to provide parents with the necessary knowledge and tools to boost their children’s cognitive and social development.
Resources at the Library include an assistive technology center - which has a host of equipment and software to support people with disabilities - audio and braille books, an online database for those with visual impairments, and a sensory room for children and adults with developmental disabilities or sensory impairments.
