A workshop was launched this morning in the capital, Aden, to prepare a draft framework for inclusive education for persons with disabilities. The workshop is coordinated jointly by the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor and the Ministry of Education, under the generous patronage of His Excellency Dr. 

Mohammed Saeed Al-Zawari, Minister of Social Affairs and Labor. This activity comes within the project “Empowering Community Leadership of Persons with Disabilities to Build Early Warning Systems,” funded by Saferworld and organized by the Basmat Hayah Foundation.

At the opening of the workshop, Ms. Faiza Abdulmajid Mohammed Saleh, Acting Deputy Minister for the Social Development Sector, delivered a speech in which she conveyed the greetings of His Excellency Dr. Mohammed Saeed Al-Zawari, Minister of Social Affairs and Labor, wishing the participants success and positive outcomes that would benefit persons with disabilities.

Ms. Faiza noted that the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor, through the Fund for the Care and Rehabilitation of Persons with Disabilities, provides a wide range of services for persons with disabilities. These include operational budgets for 37 associations specialized in disability affairs, in addition to health services, travel tickets, and the payment of tuition fees for university students. She also referred to the ongoing construction of the Persons with Disabilities Hospital in the capital, Aden, which will provide services to persons with disabilities in Aden and the southern governorates.

She pointed out that the ministry, in coordination with specialists from the Ministry of Education, has prepared a draft on inclusive education for persons with disabilities, expressing hope that the draft would receive constructive discussions from participants and be finalized in a consensual form that meets the aspirations of both ministries in providing effective services to persons with disabilities.

For his part, Mr. Shaker Mohammed Saleh Barahmah, Director General of the General Administration of Branches at the Ministry’s headquarters, stressed the importance of strengthening joint coordination between the two ministries, as they are directly linked to disability-related issues. He emphasized the need for a unified vision and joint action to serve this segment of society, calling on participants to enrich the draft with positive proposals and perspectives.

Meanwhile, Ms. Fatima Al-Dhahr, Director General of the General Administration of Inclusive Education at the Ministry of Education, expressed her happiness with the meeting, describing it as a turning point in the course of inclusive education in the country, as well as a reflection of the effective partnership with the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor toward enhancing community awareness of the rights of persons with special needs. She noted that the draft memorandum of understanding between the two ministries includes joint actions and shared visions regarding this group, calling on participants to enrich the draft with their ideas and proposals in the service of persons with disabilities.

This one-day workshop, which brings together 18 staff members from both ministries along with participants from organizations of persons with disabilities, comes within the framework of unifying efforts to ensure early intervention, rehabilitation, and inclusive education for children with disabilities. This aims to guarantee their rights to care and education in accordance with national and international standards, and to contribute to their effective integration into society.

The draft also includes the preparation of a memorandum of understanding to form a joint coordination committee between the two ministries, the implementation of joint media campaigns to enhance community awareness of the rights of children with disabilities, the involvement of civil society organizations in implementing supportive activities, and the preparation of an annual action plan.

The meeting was attended by Adnan Saeed, Director General of Public Relations and Media, and Munia Azzani, Director General of Social Assistance and Head of the Technical Office at the Ministry’s headquarters.