Mohammed bin Rashid issues a law on the rights of people with disabilities in Dubai

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE, in his capacity as Ruler of the Emirate of Dubai, issued Law No. (3) of 2022 regarding the rights of persons with disabilities in the Emirate of Dubai, and His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, The Crown Prince of Dubai, Chairman of the Executive Council, Council Resolution No. (1) of 2022 issuing the executive regulations for the law.

The law came to achieve alignment with the best international practices, especially the rights stipulated in the International Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities to achieve a decent life for them and to enhance the aspirations of the Emirate of Dubai in advancing development plans and ensuring a lead in developing legislation regulating social integration processes.

This is in addition to developing a comprehensive executive regulation to ensure that people of determination obtain their rights on an equal basis with others.

The law and the regulations aim to integrate this group into various aspects of life, grant them the right and the possibility to live independently on an equal basis with others, combat all forms of discrimination on the basis of disability, including abuse, neglect or exploitation, and include the rights and affairs of people of determination in policies, strategies and legislation Government plans, programs and projects, in addition to their involvement in the formulation of government policies, plans, legislation and programs, as well as in making decisions for themselves or that may affect their quality of life.

The law comes within the framework of the great care given by the Emirate of Dubai to people of determination and its full keenness to find a comprehensive legal framework that safeguards their rights and provides them with all opportunities to fully integrate into society and perform their roles as active people who constitute an important segment of society that receives all the attention and care that aims to provide the best quality of life Which enables them to carry out their roles and benefit from their rights, which is translated by the new law and its executive regulations.

rights of persons with disabilities

Law No. (3) of 2022 defines the services and rights that the concerned authorities must provide to people of determination, including: inclusive education in all its stages, rehabilitation and rehabilitation, inclusive employment and job opportunities in all sectors, health care and therapeutic and social services, as well as the possibility of access to various Places and services, including places of worship, police and judicial services, the possibility of accessing data and information from different sources and delivery platforms, making it available in various accessible forms, and informing and raising awareness of their rights under the legislation in force.

The rights, according to the text of the law, also include access to banking services on an equal basis with others, enabling them to initiate and follow up banking procedures freely and easily, and to participate in sports and various recreational activities.

The law defines the functions and powers of government agencies that are competent to implement any of the provisions of this law and the decisions issued pursuant thereto.

high commission

The law stipulates that the Higher Committee for the Protection of the Rights of People of Determination, headed by His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, and whose membership includes representatives of the concerned authorities and people of determination, will continue to assume the tasks of general supervision of the affairs of people of determination in the Emirate of Dubai, and to approve policies, plans and initiatives guarantee to protect their rights.

The committee is also specialized in proposing legislation to protect the rights of people of determination and integrating them into society, research and development, consider best practices that contribute to the promotion of their rights, and adopt rules, controls and priorities related to the basic needs necessary for their care, rehabilitation and integration into society.

prohibited acts

The law defines the prohibited acts that should not be done towards people of determination, including: practicing any form of discrimination on the basis of disability, including depriving a person of determination from obtaining reasonable accommodation or refraining from providing any of the services prescribed for him, and using any terms, descriptions, or utterances, or doing any act intended to belittle him, his capabilities, or contempt in any way, as well as exploiting or abusing him in any way, and neglecting to provide basic care or necessary protection for him on the part of his caretaker.

The law also prohibits exposing any person of determination to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, and conducting medical or scientific experiments on him without his freely consent, or the consent of his caretaker, non-compliance with the policies and regulations approved by the concerned authorities, and the instructions issued by them, and refraining from For reporting any cases of abuse, neglect or exploitation of people of determination.

Complaints and Reports Department

According to the law, a person of determination, or a person who cares for him, or who testifies to any incident in which this person is subjected to any abuse, discrimination, exploitation, encroachment or denial of the rights stipulated under this law and its executive regulations or any of the legislation in force in In this regard, inform the concerned authorities, each in his field of competence. In the event of reporting or filing a complaint or filing a grievance

by a person who is not caring for a person with a disability, the concerned authorities concerned with implementing any of the provisions of this law and the decisions issued pursuant thereto are prohibited from disclosing the identity of the person who reported or submitted the complaint or grievance until after obtaining his prior written consent to that.

The law stipulates that the Dubai Community Development Authority shall establish a special system to enable people of determination and those who care for them to report violations committed against them, and the concerned authorities, each in his field of competence, shall find official channels to receive communications, complaints and grievances related to their competencies stipulated in this law. and its executive regulations, and setting up an effective mechanism to inform members of society of the existence of these channels and to address the content of those communications, complaints and grievances.

ID card

In accordance with the law, the Community Development Authority in Dubai continues to issue Sanad cards, which are the cards for those registered in the database of people of determination in the Emirate of Dubai, which are used to identify them and help them obtain the services, facilities and benefits provided for them under this law, its executive regulations and the applicable legislation.

Violations and administrative penalties

Whoever commits any violation of the provisions of this law and the decisions issued pursuant to it shall be punished with the fines specified in its executive regulations, and the value of the fine shall be doubled in the event of re-committing the same violation within one year from the date of committing the previous violation, with a maximum limit of one hundred thousand dirhams.

In addition to the penalty of a fine, the concerned authority may take one or more of the following measures against the perpetrator of the violation: suspending the violator from carrying out his activity for a period not exceeding six months, and canceling the license by the authority concerned with the licensing, and the administrative penalties established under this law do not prejudice the imposition of any penalty Others stipulated in the legislation in force against anyone who commits any prohibited act that affects people of determination.

Solutions and cancellations

This law replaces Law No. (2) of 2014 Concerning the Protection of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in the Emirate of Dubai, and cancels any provision in any other legislation to the extent that it contradicts the provisions of Law No. (3) of 2022 and shall be published in the Official Gazette, and come into force from the date of bulletin.

Executive Regulations of Law No. (3) of 2022

The executive regulation of the law enhances the roles of the concerned authorities to ensure societal integration in all aspects of life, and emphasizes the need for participatory work, coordination and cooperation between the concerned authorities and the supporting authorities.

Each has according to its specialization, and the data of the regulation is associated with a set of vital programs and administrative improvements that will ensure the improvement of performance results in the indicators of community integration.

Health care and therapeutic services

In accordance with the executive regulations of Law No. (3) of 2022 regarding the rights of persons with disabilities in the Emirate of Dubai, the Dubai Health Authority and the Dubai Academic Health Corporation, each in their respective fields of competence, and in coordination with the concerned authorities, work to ensure that people of determination have access to many services Including: primary health care periodically and continuously, in proportion to the degree of disability and associated health complications, if any, as well as providing specialized preventive and curative health care according to the type and degree of disability, including preventing the degree of disability from worsening, and limiting its negative impact on growth and functional performance. For a person of determination, to a minimum.

The Dubai Health Authority also undertakes primary and specialized health insurance coverage appropriate for people of determination, and continuous training for health service providers to deal with them and their families, in accordance with the approved standards in the practice of health professions, as well as preparing facilities, facilities and health information in a way that enables people of determination to easily and easily access them. In accordance with the criteria specified in the Dubai Code for Eligible Environment, including the use of accessible formats when providing information related to the medical records of people of determination, medical prescriptions, and other information related to their health status.

Rehabilitation and rehabilitation

The executive regulations of the law stipulated that people of determination have the right to obtain comprehensive and integrated services and programs for rehabilitation and rehabilitation, in a manner that takes into account the individual needs of each of them. The concerned authorities, each in its field of competence, organize rehabilitation and rehabilitation services in the Emirate, and work to ensure that these persons obtain services, devices and programs, including: psychological and social rehabilitation for themselves and their families, and benefit from the services of centers specialized in the rehabilitation and rehabilitation of people of determination, and enable them to access them. and facilitating their access to the rehabilitation services provided by these centers.

The executive regulations also stipulate the responsibility of the Community Development Authority to ensure that people of determination receive social services that enable them to enjoy an adequate standard of living for themselves and their families.

According to the executive regulations, people of determination have the right to access education in all its stages, starting from early childhood, through school, higher and continuing education, and vocational training. They are motivated by education in all its stages, which promotes their enrollment in high-quality inclusive education programs and alternative education paths, at all levels, without discrimination, and on the basis of equal opportunities, while ensuring the provision of reasonable accommodation.

No educational or educational institution, whether public or private, may deprive any person of education because of his or her disability, nor may it impose any additional fees or financial allowances for services that fall under reasonable accommodation, provided that the education authorities adopt the conditions and illustrative evidence in the field of education. In order to achieve this, the Knowledge and Human Development Authority must set policies, plans, programs and standards that ensure the provision of education to people of determination, in accordance with the highest levels of commitment, quality and best practices applied in this regard, as well as developing programs that aim to encourage the employment of educational cadres of people of determination. Facilitating the learning of writing and reading in Braille and the use of modern technologies and devices to support the visually impaired, and ensuring the availability of ways and means of communication that enhance the independence of students of determination in education and training.

 Participation in events

People of determination have the right to participate on an equal basis with others in cultural, sports, entertainment, social and other events, and the concerned authorities must supervise the organization of these events in the Emirate and work to secure a qualified environment that guarantees their participation in various activities to the extent permitted by the type and degree of disability, and to provide the opportunity Sufficient for them to participate in various events at the national, regional and global levels.

Employment and job opportunities

The executive regulations of Law No. (3) of 2022 stressed the need to provide inclusive employment opportunities chosen by the people of determination, whether in the public or private sector or by engaging in self-employment, and no public or private entity may deprive any person of work because of his disability, or failure to provide Reasonable accommodations that enable him to perform the work on an equal basis with others.

The executive regulations of the law also obligated the Knowledge and Human Development Authority in Dubai, in coordination with the concerned authorities, with a number of obligations, including: achieving inclusive employment for people of determination, enhancing their right to work, developing their sense of their ability to produce and giving, and raising societal awareness of their right to work and their ability to do so. Ensuring the provision of guidance, rehabilitation, vocational training, job preparation, training and continuous career development opportunities for people of determination according to their needs, and providing them with the necessary professional skills and experience required in the labor market.

Accessibility

The Executive Regulations of Law No. (3) of 2022 regarding the rights of persons with disabilities in the Emirate of Dubai stipulates their right to access environments of all kinds, including all facilities, including transportation facilities, information and public and private services that others can access. The regulation obligated the concerned authorities with a number of obligations, the most important of which are: The application of the standards related to the qualified environment in the Dubai Building Code, which is approved by the competent authority in the emirate, as the approved reference for creating the appropriate spatial preparation for people of determination.

For the purposes of ensuring the implementation of these standards, the concerned authorities in the Emirate of Dubai undertake a number of tasks, as the Dubai Municipality sets the foundations, requirements, conditions and procedures to ensure the application of the principles of comprehensive design in urban environments in accordance with the competencies entrusted to it, in a way that achieves easy access to and use by people of determination. It is easy, and oversees the comprehensive implementation of the qualified environment standards in the Dubai Building Code in all regions of the emirate, and the Dubai Municipality, the Roads and Transport Authority, and the authorities concerned with issuing building licenses are obligating companies and institutions to implement and complete projects, buildings, facilities, roads, means, facilities, and transportation services in accordance with environmental standards. Qualified in Dubai Building Code.

Roads and transportation

In accordance with the text of the executive regulations of Law No. (3) of 2022, the Roads and Transport Authority in Dubai is responsible for developing the engineering, design and executive standards necessary for the preparation of roads, sidewalks, crossings, parking lots, stations, facilities and public transport vehicles of all kinds, and all services and supporting systems for them in the emirate in accordance with the best international practices, and setting up Specifications necessary to prepare roads, means of transport and communications and all the services they provide to ensure that people of determination can easily access them, and to provide seats for them in various public transportation and passenger waiting stations, and to facilitate their obtaining of driving licenses for their own vehicles in accordance with the legislation in force in this regard.

digital services

To ensure access to digital services, information and communication systems and other services, by adopting the various accessible forms available for different types of disabilities, the Dubai Digital Authority sets policies and technical standards for the requirements for qualifying digital channels such as websites, smart applications, etc., as well as overseeing the extent of commitment of the public sectors and its own, in line with the priorities and available resources, to facilitate easy access and use by people of determination, and to raise awareness about rehabilitating websites and smart applications in a way that allows them to use and benefit from them.

The regulation guarantees the people of determination the right to go to public places without any obstacles that limit their exercise of this right, and obliges the concerned authorities to supervise public places by preparing them such as buildings, parks, beaches, libraries, theatres, playgrounds, museums and others in a way that enables them to go and access them easily, in accordance with the standards specified in the Dubai Code. for construction.

social services

The executive regulations of Law No. (3) of 2022 guarantees people of determination the right to access social services so that they can enjoy a decent standard of living for themselves and their families without discrimination. To achieve this, the Community Development Authority in Dubai manages and provides financial benefits services for people of determination, whether material or In kind, providing social support services to them, encouraging the establishment of specialized centers to provide social services for persons with disabilities, and organizing the work of these centers through the development and application of licensing policies, control frameworks and quality assurance.

The Community Development Authority in Dubai is also responsible for providing family guidance services to families of people of determination, training these families on ways to communicate and dealing with them, and dealing with cases of abuse, neglect

and exploitation in accordance with the system adopted by it in this regard, in a way that enables people of determination or others to report violations committed against them. Easily.

Housing and banking services

An applicant for housing services, if he is an Emirati or has a person of determination in his family, is given priority in obtaining housing services such as housing loans and grants, and housing counseling provided by government programs that support this, with the obligation of the Mohammed bin Rashid Housing Establishment to verify The availability of the preparation specifications in the housing units designated or built for people of determination, and the development of plans to ensure the necessary preparation of housing upon request for the people of determination who have been afflicted with it after benefiting from the housing service.

Likewise, the executive regulations of the law obligated banks and banks operating in the Emirate of Dubai to enable people of determination, especially those who have full legal capacity, to manage their accounts or other financial affairs with full independence and in a manner that preserves their financial rights, and their access to credit services such as bank loans and others. The Department of Economy and Tourism in Dubai is responsible for verifying that banks and banks operating in the emirate comply with this.

Support card and database

The Dubai Statistics Center, in accordance with the executive regulations of the law, establishes a database for people with disabilities in Dubai, to be a reference for decision makers in strategic planning, government policy formulation, and directing strategic projects related to people of determination, designed according to the standard classification, to ensure alignment with national requirements. In listing the data of persons with disabilities, provided that the Community Development Authority issues a "Sanad card" to the person with disabilities, proving that the holder is a People of Determination, and this card is used as a means for obtaining the services, facilities and benefits established under the law, the executive regulations and applicable legislation.

Violations and administrative penalties

Without prejudice to any more severe penalty stipulated in any other legislation, whoever commits any of the violations stipulated in the schedule attached to this decision shall be punished with the fine indicated against each of them.

This decision shall be published in the Official Gazette, and shall come into force from the date of its publication.

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