The Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT) and the Ministry of Social Solidarity have co-organized the second edition of Initiators Congress, under the auspices of the Prime Minister, under the theme "Assistive Tools and Technologies for Persons with Disabilities."
Initiators Congress is the first inclusive multi stakeholders-centric annual congress and exhibition for Persons with Disabilities (PwDs) in the Middle East and Africa. It aims to achieve accessibility and inclusion for people of determination in all aspects of life and help them live independently by harnessing the power of modern technology and ICT tools.
In its second edition, the Congress focuses on assistive tools, all types of products and services designed to support PwDs inclusion and independence. The objectives of the Congress include discussing the best practices and top trends in assistive technology, highlighting the national efforts in serving and empowering PwDs, and identifying the best tools and technologies that suit each disability and how to employ them to improve the quality of life for PwDs.
Moreover, the Congress is aimed at achieving inclusion of PwDs in all aspects of life, shedding light on the important role of assistive technology in developing future visions, services and innovative solutions to overcome the obstacles that those persons face; and exploring local and global innovations in assistive tools and technologies.
MCIT efforts in empowering PwDs were presented during the Congress, including establishing the National Academy of Information Technology for Persons with Disabilities (NAID) and the National Relay Center for Deaf and Hard of Hearing, which connects people with hearing impairment to emergency services through Wasel App. This is in addition to the Ministry’s efforts in training and qualifying PwDs for the labor market, introducing accessibility tools in government websites, providing technological support such as devices and assistive technology applications, to special education schools; and creating the National Network for PWD Services (Taheel) to facilitate those persons’ access to decent jobs and training opportunities.
In a similar vein, Taheel Network participated in the exhibition held on the sidelines of Initiators Congress. Taheel team presented the Network’s strategy as part of MCIT strategy for digital transformation. The strategy is aimed at building an inclusive society, especially for PwDs, by developing digital applications that facilitate their day-to-day activities.
The team also discussed the services provided by Taheel, including training, qualification and employment, and how to receive them. Taheel is dedicated to improving PwDs employability and supporting them to land jobs that match their skills, helping achieve their inclusion in the labor market and improve the quality of life.
