KUWAIT: Acting Director General of the Public Authority for Disabled Affairs (PADA), Dr Dalal Al-Othman, met on Monday with UN Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls, Reem Al-Salem, to discuss the role of women in disability care centers and PADA’s ongoing initiatives in this field. Al-Othman told KUNA that the authority highlighted its key services for people with disabilities and their caregivers across all stages of life, from infancy to old age, and expressed its interest in learning about global mechanisms to support abused women.
She noted that PADA has established a “Friends of the Disabled” team, supported by judicial police, to monitor the needs of people with disabilities and women in society – whether judicial or protection-related – and submit reports that help improve support services. The authority provides a wide range of services, including day care, early intervention, housing, medical and health care, as well as social and psychological support. Al-Othman emphasized that the ultimate goal is to enhance societal acceptance of people with disabilities and empower them to be active members of the community.
Looking ahead, she stressed that PADA will focus on integrating people with disabilities into society, promoting their role as active contributors, and ensuring they have a supportive environment, suitable employment opportunities and comprehensive services to fully participate in Kuwaiti society. For her part, Director of the Department of Disabled Care Centers, Dalal Al-Marri, said the UN rapporteur’s visit to the South Al-Sabahiya Care and Rehabilitation Center for the Disabled aimed to review the quality of services provided. She noted that the center offers health, psychological and social services to people of all ages and types of disabilities.
Al-Marri highlighted Kuwait’s commitment to expanding services for people with disabilities, whether through day centers or residential shelters. She explained that the South Al-Sabahiya Center serves Al-Ahmadi and Mubarak Al-Kabeer governorates, while the Sulaibikhat Care Home Complex covers other regions, complemented by the network of day care and early intervention centers nationwide. She added that PADA promotes social integration through various activities and events, and that on-site social research offices facilitate direct communication with families, providing guidance and follow-up support for children’s cases. — KUNA
