المملكة: Specialists for"today"Empowerment of people with disabilities jumps to 13.4% and reflects the quality of life in the Kingdom

Specialists confirmed that the Kingdom has established an advanced model in empowering persons with disabilities in recent years, through developing legislation, expanding rehabilitation services, and enhancing ease of access to education and employment.

They stressed that the noticeable increase in the employment rates of people People with disabilities, increasing their chances of being accepted into universities, and expanding early detection and remote health care services, represent realistic indicators of the qualitative transformation led by the state to raise their quality of life and enhance their community and economic participation.

They explained in their interview with"today" On the occasion of World Day For persons with disabilities that challenges still exist, especially with regard to weak awareness of rights, disparity in rehabilitation services, and lack of specialized competencies in some areas, stressing that confronting these challenges requires integrating roles between the family and the governmental, private, and non-profit sectors, in addition to improving education and empowerment programs and building an inclusive environment.

Dr explained. Mishal Al-Rifai, associate professor of special education at the University of Jeddah, said that the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 charted a clear path for the future Care services, education and rehabilitation for people with disabilities, through national transformation and human capacity development programmes, in addition to quality of life and health sector transformation programmes.
He stressed that empowering people with disabilities in the labor market represents one of the most prominent indicators. The percentage of workers who are able to work increased from 7.7% in 2016 to 13.4% in 2025, driven by government, private and non-profit initiatives that enhance professional and leadership readiness.
On the education side, he pointed out that the decision to exempt 8 categories of people with disabilities from the aptitude and achievement tests contributed to an increase in the percentage of those accepted into universities, and supporting opportunities for access to advanced education and qualification.

For her part, Executive Director of the Voice of Down Syndrome Association, Zeina Zeidan, confirmed that empowering people with disabilities has become an established national path, embodied by Vision 2030, which has enhanced the quality of life and raised the level of social and economic participation.
She explained that the government sector played a pivotal role in developing systems and legislation and expanding rehabilitation and early detection services, while the private sector contributed to social responsibility and supporting specific programs, while the non-profit sector worked to achieve sustainability and build effective educational and rehabilitation services. She explained that the Voice of Down Syndrome Association has provided educational, rehabilitative and empowerment services to more than 4,000 beneficiaries since its founding, stressing that the current challenges – such as disparity in services between regions, lack of competencies and weak awareness – can be overcome by enhancing education and empowering families.

For her part, Dr. Reem Bint Mahmoud Gharib, associate professor of special education, pointed out the great development in health and rehabilitation services after the Corona pandemic, especially in the field of remote medical consultations and digital health platforms, considering the Kingdom one of the first countries to adopt these solutions.
She stated that the most prominent challenges are weak awareness of rights and regulations, stressing that families’ knowledge of their children’s rights and being aware of developments makes it easier to demand services and benefit from them more.
She stressed that early detection and therapeutic intervention in critical age stages represent the basic foundation for building the child’s skills and ensuring his independence in the future, as early intervention reflects positively on the child, the family, and society as a whole.

The associate professor of special education at Taibah University and the executive director of the Juster Society in the city, Dr. Suad Abu Zaid said that, under Vision 2030, the Kingdom has witnessed a remarkable development in disability services, such as comprehensive rehabilitation programs, the expansion of day care centers, and the implementation of early newborn screening.
She explained that delayed diagnosis, lack of community awareness, and difficulty in accessing specialized behavioral interventions are among the most prominent challenges facing families, stressing the importance of providing training programs for families that help them understand disability and deal with it efficiently. She added that early detection and therapeutic intervention reduce the severity of symptoms, raise the level of independence, and open the way for the child’s skills to develop better and in the long term. She concluded by emphasizing that building an inclusive environment requires the integration of the family, specialists, and society to provide a decent and sustainable life for people with disabilities.