By Ghadeer Ghloum

KUWAIT: In collaboration with the General Authority for Disability Affairs, the Kuwaiti Society for Guardians of the Disabled held an assembly on facilitating access for people with disabilities at Dar Marafi in Dasma. Guests invited to the assembly included Chairperson of the Kuwaiti Society for Guardians of the Disabled Rehab Boresli, Director General of the Public Authority for the Disabled Dr Bibi Al-Ameeri, former MP Alia Al-Khaled, Municipal Council member Dr Hasan Kamal, Municipal Council member Farah Al-Roumi, Assistant Director of Planning and Development at the Ministry of Public Works Ahmad Al-Saleh, Kuwait Municipality representative Mohammad Al-Juwaisry and Kuwait Municipality member Abdulrahman Al-Shemali.

Boresli gave brief introduction about the Kuwaiti Society for Guardians of the Disabled, saying it is an association that cooperates with government agencies and national bodies working in the field of disability affairs. The association was founded in 2005 by the ministry of social affairs. The aim of the association is to convey the voice of people with disabilities, develop their capacities, raise public awareness of their demands and the need to uphold all their rights.

Boresli then spoke about an important topic that plays a major role in easing the lives of people with disabilities, which is access to all facilities. “We have put all our efforts to bring attention to the topic of facilitating access of disabled people to facilities and implementing this law, which was passed in 2010.Since then, and up to this day, we are looking into activating this law. The topic was raised by activists at the Municipal Council and to the municipality minister,” she said.

Chairperson of the Kuwaiti Society for Guardians of the Disabled, Rehab Boresli

Boresli said members of the municipality were taken on a wheelchair to experience part of disabled people’s struggles to Souq Mubarakiya, which is one of Kuwait’s most important landmarks. She said this effort is not limited to helping people with physical needs, but also intellectually disabled people, by facilitating reading and understanding of signs and laws by providing miniature models of each law in the state, which makes it easier for them.

She also presented several brochures and booklets that were published in cooperation with engineers and associations that harnessed their experiences to facilitate the lives of the disabled, in addition to shedding light on the workshops that were held on this topic in both English and Arabic. In conclusion, Boresli questioned the representatives by asking: “Where is the problem? What is missing? What was the reason for not applying this law for disabled people until this day?” She then directed the question to the Municipal Council and all other authorities. She then gave a number of examples of places in Kuwait that are difficult for disabled people to access.