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Doha
Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, a global advocate for the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and Founder of Qatar Foundation for Social Work (QFSW) attended the opening ceremony of the inaugural Doha International Disability and Development Conference (DICDD) on Saturday.
The conference, which is being held under the theme of “Leaving No-One Behind”, has been organized by QFSW in collaboration with local and international partners and will conclude on December 08, at Qatar National Convention Centre.
The Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations, Amina Mohammed, and the Advisor to the Presidential Government of the Republic of Ecuador, Xavier Torres, also attended the opening ceremony.
On the opening day, more than 1,500 experts, specialists and policy makers from Qatar and around the world took part in the conference.
Addressing the opening ceremony, HH Sheikha Moza said, “First, allow me to wonder: what is disability? What is the difference between a person who has a disability and one who does not? Who describes and defines this concept?
“Recent studies have shown what I also believe: that every human has some form of disability, albeit of different kinds and at different stages. But there should be no difference between one person and another, based on their level of disability.
“Indeed, I believe that disability is a stereotype perpetuated by a prevailing mentality and social culture that define persons with disabilities based on misconceptions. There are two perspectives on disability: one comes from a medical standpoint, and one from a social standpoint. The typical treatment of people with disabilities follows the medical approach, which focuses on physical and visible attributes.”
She said, “The very concept of disability is limited to traditional disabilities and excludes other disabilities, and so when we rallied for the cause of disability in the past, we overlooked many people who are exposed to harsh conditions and, thus, suffer psychological damage, whether because of factors related to family, society, or the effects of war and conflict.
“If our concept of disability is based on visible disability, and ignores hidden disability, then doesn’t the illiterate suffer from an educational disability? Is ignorance not an intellectual disability? Isn’t there also such a concept as political disability? And isn’t the violation and assault against others a moral disability?
“I also believe distinguishing people apart based on the definition of disability implicates a form of discrimination. Sometimes, I even feel that the exceptions we make for people with disabilities, with the intention of showing sympathy toward them, do more harm than good.”
Doha
Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, a global advocate for the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and Founder of Qatar Foundation for Social Work (QFSW) attended the opening ceremony of the inaugural Doha International Disability and Development Conference (DICDD) on Saturday.
The conference, which is being held under the theme of “Leaving No-One Behind”, has been organized by QFSW in collaboration with local and international partners and will conclude on December 08, at Qatar National Convention Centre.
The Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations, Amina Mohammed, and the Advisor to the Presidential Government of the Republic of Ecuador, Xavier Torres, also attended the opening ceremony.
On the opening day, more than 1,500 experts, specialists and policy makers from Qatar and around the world took part in the conference.
Addressing the opening ceremony, HH Sheikha Moza said, “First, allow me to wonder: what is disability? What is the difference between a person who has a disability and one who does not? Who describes and defines this concept?
“Recent studies have shown what I also believe: that every human has some form of disability, albeit of different kinds and at different stages. But there should be no difference between one person and another, based on their level of disability.
“Indeed, I believe that disability is a stereotype perpetuated by a prevailing mentality and social culture that define persons with disabilities based on misconceptions. There are two perspectives on disability: one comes from a medical standpoint, and one from a social standpoint. The typical treatment of people with disabilities follows the medical approach, which focuses on physical and visible attributes.”
She said, “The very concept of disability is limited to traditional disabilities and excludes other disabilities, and so when we rallied for the cause of disability in the past, we overlooked many people who are exposed to harsh conditions and, thus, suffer psychological damage, whether because of factors related to family, society, or the effects of war and conflict.
“If our concept of disability is based on visible disability, and ignores hidden disability, then doesn’t the illiterate suffer from an educational disability? Is ignorance not an intellectual disability? Isn’t there also such a concept as political disability? And isn’t the violation and assault against others a moral disability?
“I also believe distinguishing people apart based on the definition of disability implicates a form of discrimination. Sometimes, I even feel that the exceptions we make for people with disabilities, with the intention of showing sympathy toward them, do more harm than good.”
