The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia dedicates
itself to provide adequate opportunities, facilities, services and privileges
to the individuals with disabilities and enable them to seek advantage of their
rights. It is also commits itself to provide maximum assistance to them to be
able to participate in the social-economic growth of the Kingdom and become
more independent without the need to seek assistance from anyone. This aim of
the Kingdom, with respect of the equity principle is applicable to all the
individuals of Saudi Arabia without any differentiation between the healthy or
disabled persons (Gaad, 2010).
In this context, it has
been examined that the Kingdom affirms its commitment towards the development
of the national processes and systems that can ensure the protection of the
human rights of the persons with disabilities. The recent conduct of the eights
session of the Conference of States, which were the parties to the Convention
of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CPRD) emphasised that a sustainable
society can be attained only by guaranteeing the rights of the individuals with
disabilities and ensuring their equal participation across all the social,
economic and political aspects of the society and acknowledged it as the moral
responsibility of the Kingdom (Arab News, 2015). Some relevant and concrete
measures undertaken by the Convention for the promotion of the rights of the individuals
with disabilities since included the establishment of a specialised committee
at the Ministry of Social Affairs comprised of the members from the government
agencies, civil society and the individuals with disabilities to manage and
coordinate the implementation of all the human rights, services and activities
for the development of the individuals with disability in accordance with the
provisions of the CRPD (Arab News, 2015).
In the year 2014, the Kingdom has also
formulated a high ministerial committee for an effective examination of the
status of the individuals with disabilities in the Kingdom and proposed a
number of relevant recommendations to ensure the establishment of their rights
in the society. The committee at the Ministry of Social Affairs had also
committed itself for advising the Ministry of Economics and Planning for taking
essential steps for incorporating the rights of the individuals with
disabilities within all the development plans and ensure incorporation of
necessary standards in all initiatives for their comprehensive inclusion in the
society (Arab News, 2015). In addition to that, for the promotion of awareness
and acceptance of the individuals with disabilities through the human rights as
equal members of the society and be able to participate more actively in the
society, media and awareness campaigns on the basis of the human rights
framework has been also established by the committee (Arab News, 2015). In the
light of the above information, the following chapter seeks to examine the
exact rights enjoyed by the individuals with disability in Saudi Arabia in
respect of education, healthcare, social freedom and employment along with the
scope, magnitude and effectiveness of these rights.
