Prime Minister and Interior Minister H E Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al Thani attended yesterday the closing ceremony of Qatar Autism Families Association (QAFA), held under the slogan “Together We Make Difference”. The Prime Minister honoured a number of Their Excellencies the Ministers for their contributions and support to the activities of the Association.
Talking to QNA, on the sidelines of the ceremony, the Minister of Administrative Development, Labor and Social Affairs, H E Dr Issa bin Saad Al Jafali Al Nuaimi and Minister of Culture and Sports H E Salah bin Ghanem Al Ali reiterated Qatar’s increasing importance given to persons with disabilities of all categories, especially those with autism. They confirmed that there are directives to provide the needed support to all the activities and events which work to integrate persons with disabilities, especially those with autism into society, and to raise awareness of their potential and abilities.
Dr Al Nuaimi reiterated Qatar’s increasing attention to persons with disabilities of all categories, especially those with autism. He said there is direct guidance from the Prime Minister on the need to take into account these categories, and overcome all the difficulties before them and provide all support to them. The Minister praised the role played by QAFA in integrating them in the society and raising awareness on their capabilities by extending help and support to them and their families confirming the Ministry’s full support to the association in all its contributions and participations which works on elevating the level of services offered to this category.
The Minister of Culture and Sports said all the sports facilities in Qatar are designed to accommodate persons with disabilities, adding that the Ministry started to allocate comprehensive sports facilities for the disabled, and to provide specialised trainers and the latest equipment. The Ministry is also developing a number of establishments in Qatar Club and Al Ahli club to accommodate larger numbers of persons with disabilities. He said that there is great cooperation between the Ministry and the Qatar Olympic Committee (QOC) to provide all sorts of support to prepare Olympian athletes and increase their number and participation in international competitions. During the event Chairman of QAFA, Fatima Al Shaheen Al Sulaiti, handed over a commemorative shield to the Prime Minister and Interior Minister for his unlimited and remarkable contribution and support to autism families and the activities of the Association.
Fatima Al Sulaiti , Chairman of Qatar Autism Families Association (QAFA), expressed her and members of the association’ happiness with the attendance of the Prime Minister, which provides the needed care and support to the autistic and their families. She added that this confirms His Excellency’s continuous support for their right to integrate in the society and their positive participation in society, life and its broad horizons. She highlighted the importance of cooperation between the different governmental entities and centers for people with disabilities especially autism, to better their lives. She said that the family alone, no matter how much effort to achieve the desired development of their children, they remain unable to face a number of tough challenges.
She added that an autistic child needs joint work from different entities, in addition to the pivotal role of the family, stressing the need to consider improving their status as a priority in the next stage, and to accommodate the newly diagnosed. The Chairman presented the recent achievements of the association confirming that these achievements are a result of constructive participation of the members of the society and its institutions, and that what has been achieved does not reflect the aspirations of the QAFA for what should be the situation for this beautiful group of children.
She called on official institutions including ministries and governmental entities to promote areas of assistance in the field of specialized services on educational, health and rehabilitation levels through increasing channels of dialogue and systematic work teams.
sources: The Peninsula
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