Region: Asia
Disability Definition
“a person with special needs is someone suffering from a temporary or permanent, full or partial deficiency, or infirmity in his physical, sensory, mental, communication, educational, or psychological abilities to an extent that limits his possibility of performing the ordinary requirements as people without special needs.”
Reference: UAE – Social Affairs
Legislation
Federal Law No. (29) of 2006 Concerning the Rights of People of Determination:
Article 16 – “UAE nationals of determination have the right to work and hold public office. People of determination needs shall not be a barrier for their nomination and selection for a job. People of determination needs should be taken into account while testing the candidate’s competency for the job”
Dubai Government Law No. 2 of 2014:
This Law aims to achieve the following objectives:
providing Accessible Environments to ensure that Persons with Disabilities enjoy all their rights under the legislation in force; fostering respect for the dignity of Persons with Disabilities; protecting Persons with Disabilities from all forms of Discrimination, Abuse, Neglect, and Exploitation; and integrating Persons with Disabilities into society as effective members
Resolution No. 43 of 2018: Aims to support the rights of people of determination in the field of employment by enabling access to opportunities in the labor market
Employer Legal Requirements
Dubai Government Law No. 2 of 2014 – “Offering Persons with Disabilities the opportunity to work together with their non-disabled peers in line with measures and regulations that ensure non-discrimination in workplaces, so that they are given the same opportunities and rights as others working in the same field and are provided with the Reasonable Accommodations that enable them to perform their duties, maintain their employment, and achieve career advancement”. (Law No. 2 of 2014)
Accessibility Requirements
Once a person with a disability has been employed, the employer has an obligation to provide a suitable work environment for that person and to make any necessary accommodations to ensure he or she can perform their work efficiently and safely
Adapting and updating workplace equipment as needed
Ensure premises where the individual works are appropriate including entrances, internal areas and exits from the building, including in emergency situations
Provide facilities and assistance to enable people with disabilities to attend and participate in conferences, meetings, events and training on an equal basis with their peers
Cultural Norms
Persons with disabilities in the United Arab Emirates are referred to as people with determination.
The National Policy for Empowering People of Determination:
Referring to people with special needs or disabilities as ‘the determined ones’
Assigning an official at every government institution that will be responsible for facilitating services for people with special needs. The official’s title will be ‘the Service Officer for the Determined Ones’
Setting up an advisory council which will consist of federal and local government entities and members of society who will provide their advice for achieving the goals of the national policy. (The National Policy for Empowering People of Determination)
Business Practices/Examples
Additional content coming soon.Insights
There are no official statistics on the total number of people with disabilities in Dubai or the UAE. As of 2016, there were 15,782 people registered on disability cards in the UAE, of whom 62% are UAE nationals, numbering 9869. The remaining 5913 are represented by various foreign expatriates [9]. This represents less than 0.25% of the country’s population.
Supplier Diversity
Although employers operating in the Sweden have supplier diversity programs, we do not have any partners with international supplier certifications programs in this country at this time. Please let us know if you have any updates we should post.
Talent Sourcing Resources
Ministry of Community Development – Facilitates job opportunities for people of determination, allowing government entities and employers to record availability online for people of determination
Ministry of Interior’s Centers for Rehabilitation and Employment of people with special needs – Emphasizes its keenness to provide sophisticated services and programs for people with disabilities, consistent with international standards in the field of professional rehabilitation.
Additional Resources
Recruitment Platform for People of Determination (Disabled) for Entities and Individuals.