On Wednesday, 26, November, SCHS opened the annual meeting of (GATTES) in Sharjah Family Supreme Council in the presence of His Highness Shaikh Mohammed Bin Saqar Al Qasimmi, authorized representative of Ministry of Health, and Khalid Bin Saqar Al Qasimmi, head of Directorate of Public Work. The meeting was opened under the patronage of Sharjah Urban Planning Symposium and with representatives from United States of America, Canada, Brazil, Denmark, Japan, India, Mexico, Norway, Saudi Arabia, Sweden, Australia, Uruguay, Ireland, Kenya, Serbia, and United Arab Emirates as being the host.
The meeting started with a blessed recitation from the Holy Koran by student Fatama Bilal (Al Amal Kindergarten & School for the Deaf). Then, Mr. Osama Mardini, head of SCHS Media & Information Department, gave a speech in which he transformed the sincere greetings and the worm welcomes of Her Highness Shaikha Jameela Bint Mohammed Al Qasimmi, vice president of Sharjah Family Supreme Council General Director of SCHS to participants, who came to Sharjah, which has been always an initiator in proposing the issues of the disabled.
Mr. Osama has pointed out that accessibility was one main issue SCHS had to deal with intensively. Therefore, it has been coordinating and working with municipalities to formulate a law that ensure accessibility in all buildings and facilities. As a result, in 1991 the General Assembly of Municipalities in United Arab Emirates issued a law that forbids giving license to new buildings unless it has accessible means for people with special needs.
Ever since, SCHS has been struggling to defend the rights of people with special needs by negotiating the draft of law of 29, 2006, which guarantees the rights of people with special needs in equal treatment in health care, rehabilitation, education, work, and the rest aspects of life. The law admits the right of people with special needs to have accessible environment.
SCHS has translated its great concern of accessibility by working hard to provide a suitable scientific base for implementation with the use of latest approaches and methods. According to Her Highness Shaikha Jameela Bint Mohammed Al Qasimmi, vice president of Sharjah Family Supreme Council General Director of SCHS, we should provide the proper factories and suitable standards of implementation before issuing a compulsory law. Thus, Her Highness Shaikha Jameela Bint Mohammed Al Qasimmi has signed a memo of understanding with Mrs. Pity Deon, (Canada) head of the alliance, along with Mr. Mukter Mohammed, (Saudi Arabia) vice president in March 2007.
SCHS has continued its efforts to ensure the right of people with special needs to access database and technological means. Therefore, SCHS has signed the memo of understanding with Etisalat to provide extraordinary telecom services for the disabled. SCHS has strengthened its relationship with Microsoft in an ambitious project to increase the number of beneficiaries of computers to include blind and the mentally handicapped.
The hosting of the annual meeting of GATTES is a clear indication of SCHS hard intensive work to adapt to international procedures and setup proper standards of comprehensive designing whereas Arab countries could implement.
At the end of the opening speech, Mr. Osama Mardini concluded by expressing the feelings of appreciation and gratitude for Highness Shaikh Mohammed Bin Saqar Al Qasimmi, authorized representative of Ministry of Health, Khalid Bin Saqar Al Qasimmi, head of Directorate of Public Work, Sharjah Urban Planning Symposium, and Sharjah Family Supreme Council for hosting the meeting.
Mrs. Pity Deon, (Canada) head of the GATTES gave a speech in which she expressed the feelings of joy and happiness for attending the annual meeting of GATTES, which is organized in Sharjah city for the first time after receiving the kind invitation from Her Highness Shaikha Jameela Bint Mohammed Al Qasimmi, vice president of Sharjah Family Supreme Council General Director of SCHS, who has become the first honorary member in the GATTES.
She also thanked Mr. Osama Mardini, head of SCHS Media & Information Department, Mrs. Khadeja Bamakhramah, personal assistant of SCHS general director, and the rest of the SCHS workers, who helped organize this meeting. She wished that she can always work with them.
Then, Mrs. Pity Deon displayed a presentation on PowerPoint about the history of the GATTES since its first meeting in Dublin, Ireland 2006 and the rest of activities that followed such as playing an important role in the International Convention on the Rights of the Disable. At the end of the ceremony, souvenirs were distributed on participants.
His Highness Shaikh Mohammed Bin Saqar Al Qasimmi, authorized representative of Ministry of Health, has assured that 2009 is going to be the year of practical implementation of laws in relation to accessibility in governmental and private buildings alike.
He has pointed out that the meeting's recommendations should seriously be taken into consideration in order to Link the theoretical side of the matter with its practical side for the best interest of people with special needs.
His Highness Shaikh Khalid Bin Saqar Al Qasimmi, head of Directorate of Public Work, has considered the recommendations of this meeting to be a subjective completion for His Highness Shaikh Sultan Bin Mohammed Al Qasimmi, member of the United Arab Emirates Supreme Council, Governor of Sharjah, vision in a city without barriers. Sharjah has been working intensively to move all the barriers and obstacles in front of the disabled in order to maneuver around freely.
Mr. Ahmed Soliman, head of Youth Centers, spoke highly of this meeting and said it is important to make all the buildings and facilities in United Arab Emirates accessible for the disabled. The meeting will last for two days.