Dr. Hisham Al-Haidari, the chief executive officer (CEO) of the Authority of People with Disability (APD), stated, "I would like to thank the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman ibn Abdulaziz Al Saud, for the tremendous support he has provided for persons with disabilities and the progress we are currently witnessing, as he has made disability-related issues a top priority. I also salute His Highness the Crown Prince and Prime Minister Prince Mohammed ibn Salman for his directives to support individuals with disabilities in all fields, including the Kingdom's Vision 2030 programs."
This is reflected in the approval of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act by the Council of Ministers today, which addresses all of the needs of people with disabilities in their daily lives and replaces the previous Disability Code, which was drafted to include various life necessities and be a basis through which people with disabilities can obtain their rights in various sectors.
This Act is only the beginning of an integrated system of services, programs, and strategies that the APD is developing under the leadership of His Excellency the Minister of Human Resources and Social Development (HRSD) and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the APD, Eng. Ahmed ibn Sulaiman Al-Rajhi, to empower persons with disabilities and achieve an inclusive and harmonious society.Al-Haidari explained that the Act seeks to improve the quality of services provided to individuals with disabilities, including accessibility and their rights to education, health, employment, entertainment, culture, and sports. The Act also accounted for all regulations that guarantee human rights, including legal and social aspects, discrimination on the basis of disability, violations, and punishments for those violations.
In addition, he stated that the APD collaborated with various government sectors to develop the Act as a clear and solid foundation that promotes independence, inclusion, and empowerment and raises awareness of the rights of individuals with disabilities.
Notable is that the APD seeks to help individuals with disabilities obtain their rights, enhance the services provided to them by various sectors, empower them in the labor market, integrate them into society, and educate society about disability so they can achieve independence.
