KUWAIT: A 9-year-old girl in Kuwait faced discrimination by her mother and her younger sister's friends. They thought she was mentally challenged, so they avoided playing with her. All she could do was sit and watch them playing. The girl's family later discovered that she suffers from a slow learning disorder. Her childhood would have been happier if they had found out earlier about her debility.
It is difficult for parents to realize that their child is suffering from a disability, which may take several years to be discovered, either because the type of disability is apparent only after a certain age, or because diagnosis is delayed. Sometimes a child is born normal, but he or she has an accident or disease that causes permanent disability.
Different needs
At each age level, the needs of the disabled are different from the psychological, health and service aspects. Kuwait has undertaken to share responsibility with the family of the disabled, providing them with health, psychological, educational and professional care in accordance with law no. 8 of 2010. The law consists of 70 articles, the first of which specifies the persons to whom the provisions of the law apply - those with a lack of physical, mental or sensory abilities that may prevent them from securing the necessities of life or participating fully and effectively in society on an equal basis with others.
The General Authority for Disability Affairs is responsible for the follow-up of people with disabilities in Kuwait. There are more than 45,000 people in Kuwait who are considered legally disabled. Under the law, the government must contribute to the support of their housing, social, psychological and educational needs, as well as sports, entertainment and vocational rehabilitation. It should also uphold their public rights and oblige concerned authorities to integrate them into society, in addition to other benefits and exemptions.
However, some voices are complaining about the unfairness of the law's enforcement, claiming that the rights of the disabled are merely on paper and most of the 70 articles of the law are not enforced on the ground. Afrah, a member of the Kuwait Society for the Follow-up of the Issues of the Disabled, said salaries of disabled people are not enough, and many of them have been deprived of their financial allocations after a reassessment of their health status by the medical committee and reduction of the level of disability from severe to moderate.
"Consider the cost of expensive housing rent and the modification of some rooms and bathrooms for the disabled. It is required to verify the condition of the disabled, but there must be an assessment of housing to ensure an appropriate environment and fill shortcomings," she said.
Allowances
Allowances for Kuwait's disabled vary according to how the government classifies the disability. Citizens under 21 years of age, according to article 29 of the eighth law of 2010, receive a direct allowance from the government. A child with a minor disability gets KD 2,220 per year - around KD 184 per month - along with a onetime grant of KD 5,000.
A child with moderate disabilities receives an allowance of KD 2,700 per year - about KD 225 per month - and a KD 10,000 onetime grant. Those with disabilities classified as 'severe' will receive an annual allowance of KD 3,324 (KD 277 per month) plus a KD 10,000 onetime grant.
However, once the child becomes an adult at the age of 21, the allowance will be stopped. Then the Public Institution for Social Security takes over, determining the needs of the disabled person, including allowances as well as other benefits, such as medical equipment, wheelchairs and nurse, driver or personal caretaker allowance based on the type and severity of the disability.
Here comes the role of the Kuwait Society for Follow-up of the Issues of the Disabled, which was explained to Kuwait Times by Ali Al-Thuwaini, Secretary of the Association, which investigates complaints and works with concerned authorities through the submission of proposals and solutions. "We do not make a quick reaction, but rather study the cases and examine their credibility. We then transfer the claims formally to the competent authority, all of which call for the activation of all articles of the eighth law of 2010," he explained. "Disabled people do get financial benefits, but they face a lot of complications until they receive them."
Under the previous administration of the disabled authority, it was reported that files were subject to loss and manipulation because they were not archived digitally. After a new management commenced administrative work, the body is working to place all files in a digital archive and automate the procedures. "In order for us to obtain state funds and have access to the beneficiaries, we have to be purposeful in this process. First-time requests are made online through our official website, then a notice is sent to inform the concerned person that a response will be made within 30 days via SMS," Thuwaini explained.
"There are those with moderate disability, but their guardians insist that the impairment of their child is severe, contrary to what is stated in the medical report issued by the ministry of health, as if they wish to curse their children in anticipation of the allocations of the disabled, unfortunately," he rued.
Real disabilities
So what is the fault of people with real disabilities? Both Salem Al-Hafiti's son and daughter suffer from hearing impairments. He told Kuwait Times the Salem Al-Ali Center for Hearing and Speech is a prestigious center "which we are proud of," but wished the doctors there are monitored and evaluated by officials all the time, because he doesn't want what happened with his daughter to be repeated when he went to return cochlear implants. He said he is now forced to travel monthly to a Gulf country and incur travel expenses and the cost of programming and rehabilitation of up to KD 500.
Abdullatif Safar, a father of two children, one with reactive mobility and the other suffering from slow learning, complained there are not enough schools and classrooms in the governorates to accept students with disabilities. "I have to take my children to three separate schools, each in a different area, in the midst of heavy traffic," he said, adding "each governorate has only two to three government schools, each with only four classes and five to seven students."
However, Thuwaini said those with motor, hearing and visual impairments can be absorbed in nearby schools. However, education does not guarantee all factors of success, both in terms of curriculum, number of teachers and the facilities at the school for disabled students. A disabled student may also be exposed to lack of empathy by his healthy peers as a result of lack of awareness, which makes the student feel isolated and makes him prefer to attend a school for disabled where students look like him.
"To be fair, the Ministry of Education has a successful program, which needs to be expanded and developed. We are patients, and in my opinion, walking like a turtle to win the race is better than running like a rabbit and not getting there!" he said.
One-eye disability
The commission accepted disability in one eye until May 2010, when it canceled its status as a worthy disability case, like developed countries that do not recognize disability in one eye. But this sudden decision hurt many, as officials did not take into account the family and economic considerations of the families of affected people. "Who is responsible for this?" said Amin Saeed, a one-eye disability supervisor at the society.
"The problem is that the disabled person and his family think that the disabled are equal in rights, exemptions and privileges, but not every motor handicap deserves a car parking card, and not every average disability requires a driver's allowance," said an official who declined to be identified.
Talk about the General Authority for Disability Affairs suffering from chaos and corruption is true in some cases. Some previous staff have been referred to the prosecution, while some got fired. Under the new administration, the commission is moving to correct and organize errors in order to safeguard state funds and the public welfare of the disabled. The Department of Care Services, the Disabled Care Department, the Rehabilitation Medical Center and the Vocational Rehabilitation Department will soon be incorporated under the umbrella of the authority.
Dr Ali Hassan, Head of the Scientific Committee at the Kuwait Society for the Follow-up of the Issues of the Disabled, said that the disabled person is in transition from the family and school to the workplace. Each stage has its own needs. "I do not have a disabled person in the family and I am not disabled, but I was a lazy person.
When I saw the activity and effectiveness of Ali Dashti, the public relations director of the society and member Mona Al-Azmi, who are disabled, and their passion for work for our community, I was ashamed of myself. The disabled person can create and innovate in all practical areas if given the opportunity. Therefore, the country must take advantage of these energies and talents by integrating them fully into society," he concluded.
By Athoob Al-Shuaibi