The Dubai Government Excellence Program, sponsored by the General Secretariat of the Executive Council of Dubai, organised a forum on Wednesday entitled, "Dubai, a friendly city for people with disabilities".

In attendance at the forum were Abdulla Al Shaibani, Secretary-General of the Executive Council of Dubai, and Chairman of Dubai Government Excellence Program, Ahmed Abdelkareem Jalfaar, Director-General for Community Development Authority in Dubai, and some 400 Dubai government employees.

Al Shaibani said the forum seeks to achieve the goals of the Dubai 2020 Strategy, including assisting people with disabilities according to the best international governmental standards. He added that forum officials are constantly following these details with the involved parties, in carrying out the strategy to guarantee services for people with disabilities, and to act according to the directives of the UAE leadership to assure that Dubai becomes a province that provides the required infrastructure, facilities and services for all members of society.

He added that turning Dubai into a friendly city for people with disabilities by the year 2020 requires the efforts of all to support, promote and empower people with disabilities to achieve their goals, in addition to raising the community’s awareness in order to integrate them into society.

Jalfaar affirmed the importance of unifying governmental efforts, along with the authorities, to assure the integration of people with disabilities and their empowerment, and work to establish a friendly community for them, while protecting their rights and giving them equal opportunities in education and health, as well as allowing them the opportunity to contribute to the decisions related to their lives.

He said that the initiative "My Community... A City for Everyone", has provided a common ground to revisit the services provided to people with disabilities, study the challenges that prevent them from obtaining their rights as granted by UAE law, and develop sustainable solutions to these challenges, according to best international practices.

He also pointed to the serious steps taken by the initiative, such as issuing the law on protecting people with disabilities in Dubai, and adopting the Dubai Strategy for Disabilities 2020, as well as restating the keenness of the leadership to eliminate all legislative and administrative obstacles that prevent people with disabilities from participating in society in an independent and effective way.