Kingdom lags behind in disabled-friendly offices and factories
According to Saudi architect Mukhtar Al-Shibani, an expert in the field
of designing the workplace in a way that accommodates people with
disabilities and facilitates their movement on the premises, 99 percent
of offices and industries in the Kingdom are inaccessible to this
segment of society.
Mukhtar Al Shibani
When most office buildings and factories are built, the architects and
engineers do not take into consideration people who are physically
challenged. Employees with disabilities face great difficulties and many
obstacles at the workplace in both the private and government sectors.
“The owners of such companies and factories may be unaware of the
worldwide agreements made to ensure a safe and easily-accessible
environment to those with disabilities in the workplace and in the
public in general. Some countries such as the United States, Canada,
Japan, and the United Kingdom have applied accessibility measures and
designs to roads, buildings, public transportation, parks and even in
electronic and communication devices, but Saudi Arabia is lagging
behind,” he said.
Al-Shibani is the president of the Global Alliance on Accessible
Technologies and Environments (GAATES), which is the leading
international non-profit organization that brings together individuals
and organizations dedicated to promoting user-friendly electronic and
communication technologies and also accessibility of the built
environment.
“Although the Kingdom participated in the United Nations Convention on
the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in the year 2007 and laws have
been passed by the Shoura Council to rectify the protocol in public
buildings and properties, change has been extremely slow. Writing an
excellent document is not enough; we need implementation,” he added.
The mission of GAATES is to promote the understanding and implementation
of accessibility of the built, social, and virtual environments,
including architectural, infrastructural design, transportation systems,
habitat and electronic information and communication technologies. The
goal is to help everyone, including people with disabilities and the
elderly, to be able to fully participate, be active and productive and
contribute to society.
Work has begun with the cooperation between the municipalities of
several cities in the Kingdom and GAATES, which provides a detailed
study, consultations, proposed solutions, and finally supplies the
company with designers and contractors to implement any necessary
changes. A major partner that has also been of much assistance is the
Prince Salman Center for Disability Research located in Riyadh.
“Labor Minister Adel Fakieh has been pushing both public and private
sector firms to open up opportunities for those with disabilities.
Industries today are a big employer for this segment of our society yet
the facilities still need a lot of work to cater to these individuals’
special needs. There is a wide range of criteria that makes an
environment accessible to persons with disabilities. Our job is to visit
the site, provide the guidelines in accordance to a universal design,
and we follow through with the company until all requirements have been
met. For example, a facility may need wider doors, outdoor and indoor
ramps, elevators, special washrooms, color and audio cues that show
directions and fire safety and evacuation requirements,” said
Al-Shibani.
One of the companies in the Kingdom that sought the help of GAATES to
make their buildings and technologies more accessible to disabled
persons is the Savola Group. It became the first Saudi company to be
certified and awarded by GAATES for adhering to the guidelines
stipulated at the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons
with Disabilities.
“Savola invited GAATES to look into the issue of accessibility at their
factories. We prepared a detailed study of their premises. They needed
some changes and we offered the solutions. Now Savola can safely and
comfortably employ any individual with disabilities. The company has a
target to employ 2,000 individuals with special needs,” added
Al-Shibani.
Source : Saudi Gazette , Kingdom ; 4th May 2013
No comments:
Post a Comment