“Signing of the United Nations’ convention on disabilities, shows the country’s keenness to establish equality among community members, particularly the people with special needs,” said Hamad Haza Al Darmaki, Chairman of the UAE Committee for Deaf Sports.
The UN disability convention aims to promote and protect the rights and dignity of persons with special needs, based on the work done in the field of human rights and social development. More than 100 countries around the globe have joined the convention. The UAE signed the treaty on March 30 this year through the Ministry of Social Affairs.
Darmaki’s statement came close on the heels of the 15th international conference for people with hearing impairment held in Madrid, Spain, from July 16 to 22 with participation of several countries including the UAE.
Darmaki represented the Abu Dhabi-based Zayed Higher Organisation for Humanitarian Welfare, Special Needs Care and Minors Affairs, at the conference.
“The conference, which was attended by more than 2,000 delegates, focused on issues related to people with hearing impairment,” said Darmaki.
He said the conference discussed topics such as human rights for people with hearing impairment who represent minority in many societies, hearing defects in women, status of people with impaired hearing in the developing countries and the ‘sign language’.
“The condition of people with hearing impairment in the UAE was also discussed apart from the best means and ways of exchanging expertise between countries to improve the lot of this category of people in our society,” said Darmaki.
He said senior representatives from the World Federation of the Deaf (WFD) and other international deaf organisations took part in the discussions.
