ABU DHABI, The Department of Community Development (DCD) in Abu Dhabi reviewed the latest developments within the Abu Dhabi Strategy for People of Determination 2020-2024 during a virtual meeting of the strategy’s task force leaders.
Each task force leader is responsible for one of the strategy’s six pillars, which are Education, Employment, Social Care, Accessibility, Health and Rehabilitation, and Enablers.
The DCD’s strategy is in line with its commitment to position Abu Dhabi as an inclusive and empowering city for people of determination, as well as to activate their role in the emirate’s sustainable development process in cooperation with all relevant partners from the government, private and third sectors.
The meeting was held in the presence of Hamad Ali Al Dhaheri, Under-Secretary of the DCD, to focus on the latest developments in each of the six core pillars of the Abu Dhabi Strategy for People of Determination 2020-2024.
Al Dhaheri pointed out that the strategy demonstrates the vision and directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, to fulfil the aspirations of people of determination, who are an integral part of a cohesive UAE society.
Al Dhaheri said, “We continue to journey towards transformation to become an inclusive society that provides them with an enabling environment where they enjoy equal rights and access to services and opportunities as with all community members at all stages of their lives.”
“We appreciate the efforts of the 28 entities involved in the implementation of the strategy’s various initiatives,” he added.
Showcasing the achievements made by the team working on the Education pillar of the Abu Dhabi Strategy for People of Determination 2020-2024, Manal Al Dossary, Acting Executive Director of Planning and Strategic Affairs Sector, Department of Education and Knowledge (ADEK), stated that the activities that have been implemented in support of the “Educational Integration Model” such as conducting normative studies were also discussed during the meeting. Other accomplishments included visiting 69 per cent of the private schools in the emirate to learn about their current situation and the challenges facing them; reviewing the local inclusive education policies adopted in Abu Dhabi, and establishing partnerships with relevant training institutions to educate schools about the all-embracing and inclusive education.
Under the Employment pillar, Hamad Saeed Al Shibli, Director of Policy and Institutional Development, Human Resources Authority – Abu Dhabi (HRA), discussed the pillar’s key objectives that include the development of a government policy for employment and the empowerment of people of determination in the government and private sectors. It was revealed that 82 per cent of the policy has been accomplished.
The achievements made within the pillar in 2020 and the first quarter of 2021 included conducting a comprehensive study and an in-depth analysis of the legislation and procedures being implemented in Abu Dhabi; studying the rate of employment of people of determination in government entities for 2020; preparing key benchmarks; reviewing existing policies, and identifying the challenges facing their inclusive employment in the labour market.
As for the “Inclusive Employment” programme, which is the second initiative under the Employment pillar, the working group said the objectives of the programme include the creation of an integrated ecosystem in Abu Dhabi for those looking for employment opportunities and the enforcement of the provisions of the inclusive employment policy. Forty per cent of the required work has been completed.
The team further presented the programme’s latest developments. Among the accomplishments were launching the “Fellows of Determination” awareness-raising initiative to encourage Abu Dhabi Government employees to support their colleagues; making the needed preparations for applying the occupational classification for people of determination; creating a job record for them in the local government; developing an electronic system for job nomination, and crafting an employment guide.
Abdullah Ismail Al Kamali, Executive Director of People of Determination Sector, Zayed Higher Organisation for People of Determination (ZHO) discussed the achievements of the Social Care group, which resulted in the issuance and approval of the “Disabilities Classification” guide in Abu Dhabi. The initiative has already achieved a 35 per cent accomplishment rate.
The team also developed a detailed work plan for the “People of Determination Services Officer” initiative that aims to appoint officials responsible for their services in concerned government and private entities in the emirate.
Steps were taken to build a database for people of determination, some of which were the successful completion of an electronic linkage with relevant local authorities, the preparation of a data record mechanism, and the management and indexing of their data in cooperation with the Statistics Centre – Abu Dhabi. These efforts have resulted in the 37 per cent completion of the database. This year, the concerned team will further, develop and initiate five key initiatives under the Social Care pillar.
On behalf of the Accessibility work team, Mohammed Hamad bin Fahd Al Muhairi, Executive Director of Transport Sector, Department of Municipalities and Transport, presented the team’s achievements and highlighted the pillar’s six leading initiatives being implemented in partnership with relevant authorities such as the Abu Dhabi Digital Authority, the Abu Dhabi Sports Council, the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi Airports, and Abu Dhabi Ports.
A reference was specifically made to the “Access to Buildings, Facilities, Transportation and Housing for People of Determination” initiative, which ensures the ease of access and use of facilities, establishments and services by people of determination.
Among the initiative’s results was the complete update of the technical provisions for private housing standards and protection from fire risks; the collaboration with concerned entities to establish an environmental preparation assessment system, and the development of a form to compare the UAE Universal Design Code with relevant local standards.
The “Access to Inclusive Sports Programmes” initiative was also highlighted. The initiative seeks to improve the readiness of sports facilities and the skills of coaches to ensure the participation of people of determination, in line with the “Sport for All” principle. The team completed the initial evaluation of 12 sports club facilities in cooperation with the ZHO.
The Health and Rehabilitation pillar, led by Dr. Hamed Al Hashemi, Director of Strategic Affairs, Department of Health – Abu Dhabi (DoH), aims to provide comprehensive and integrated rehabilitative healthcare systems, covering necessary medical care, prevention, diagnosis and treatment.
This year, the pillar’s working team will focus on two main initiatives. The first is the development of a unified and integrated health assessment framework. The second initiative is the launch of the “Early Intervention” programme that establishes thorough detection, diagnosis and early intervention systems to help children of determination and those at risk of delayed development. The programme will be implemented by the Abu Dhabi Early Childhood Authority under international best practices.
As for the Enablers pillar, Dr. Bushra Al Mulla, Executive Director of Community Development Sector, discussed the key initiatives under the pillar. One of the initiatives highlighted during the meeting was the establishment of an integrated care system for people of determination and their families in Abu Dhabi to ensure their direct and smooth access to quality and affordable health, rehabilitation, educational and social services. Seventy per cent of the initiative has been accomplished.
Another initiative was the development of a change management plan to accelerate the desired transformation process in the emirate according to the Abu Dhabi Strategy for People of Determination 2020-2024. The pillar’s team has completed 25 per cent of the plan. With an accomplishment rate of 20 per cent, an evaluation and follow-up system has been developed to monitor and measure the strategy’s key performance indicators (KPIs) and its impact on improving the conditions of people of determination.
The DCD also took advanced steps to achieve the objectives of the Enablers pillar under the amendments to the Federal Law No. 29 of 2006 regarding the rights of people of determination. In addition, it monitors the legislative frameworks affecting people of determination in cooperation with concerned authorities.
Source: Emirates News Agency
