ABU DHABI // A national policy to get disabled people into work is being prepared by the Ministry of Social Affairs, with legislation to follow.
The policy will cover both the public and private sectors and intends to give disabled people the same opportunity as everyone else to achieve their career goals.
The ministry’s policy also aims to strengthen the rights of the disabled in employment through new legislation and to develop frameworks for the creation of work environments suitable for a disabled person’s needs, The National’s Arabic sister paper Al Ittihad reported.
The national policy includes the creation of systems for financing free enterprise projects for the disabled to strengthen their chances of getting state funding.
Said Wafa bin Sulaiman, the director of the Department of Welfare and Rehabilitation of the Disabled at the ministry, said that work on legislation will begin soon, after submissions to the competent authorities.
She said: “This policy works as a structured framework to facilitate the employment of the disabled to ensure their rights are on an equal basis with non-disabled.
“It also promotes non-discrimination against persons with disabilities and ensures the disabled do not have to retire because of a disability and they can carry on working until they reach the age of retirement.
“The policy also contains a clear mechanism for attracting and training disabled people and looks at the measures that must be included in the work environment.”
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