JEDDAH – Prince Sultan Bin Salman calls on the creative and talented youth in the Kingdom to be more active in supporting disabled children, to help spread awareness, and to show that a disability is not necessarily a barrier to success and to achieving one's dreams. A humanitarian and philanthropist, he is the chairman of the Disabled Children Association and the founder and chairman of Prince Salman Center for Disability Research. The DCA is a non-profit service-oriented organization for children living with disabilities in the Kingdom; providing education, speech therapy, physical and occupational therapy, and a wide range of interesting and life enriching social activities. Stemming from the Prince's belief that children with special needs are gifted and have exceptional skills, he sponsored a Qur'an memorization competition for disabled children. The children's participation was surprisingly impressive, and the children proved that some weaknesses are often compensated with other amazing strengths and abilities in these individuals. “A wide segment of the society, especially children and adolescents, watch with admiration and fondness almost every step in the lives of their favorite heroes. These heroes are viewed as stars to be adored, followed, and emulated; whether they are scientists, inventors, celebrities, poets, writers, media professionals, or famous athletes. I urge these stars to publicly attend awareness events and become affiliated with non-profit organizations that are doing much needed work for disabled children in the Kingdom. When a popular person supports a certain cause or charitable organization, the society no doubt is encouraged to also help and show interest in these noble causes,” said Prince Salman. “I wish to extend appreciation and gratitude to the young horse riding champion, Prince Abdullah Bin Miteb, for his continued support of the DCA. Prince Miteb not only openly supports the DCA and routinely attends its many social functions, but more importantly he actively participates in these events to raise awareness in the society and make a difference in the lives of these children,” said Prince Salman. At a recent event and competition in Jeddah where physically disabled children are given the opportunity to touch horses and even ride them, Prince Miteb was pictured riding a horse with a young disabled boy. From his childhood, Prince Miteb has loved horses and his passion continued into adulthood. He is on the Saudi Equestrian team and he endures grueling practice of up to seven hours a day to stay at the top of this wonderful sport. He participated in the London 2012 Olympics and the Saudi team came home with the Bronze Medal in the Team Competition. Several centers for disabled children in Saudi Arabia offer weekly and carefully supervised horseback riding sessions. People with disabilities can obtain beneficial results from exposure to horses. The movement of a horse strengthens muscles throughout the rider's body and promotes better overall health. The rhythmic movement of the horse's walk can stimulate the child's nerves and muscles. In many cases, riding has also led to increased mobility for the rider. From the beginning, riders learn balance, coordination, and self-assurance while receiving therapeutic muscle stimulation. The psychological rewards are even more profound. The ability to even partially control a horse as well as one's own body, which is especially difficult for the physically disabled, inspires a newly discovered level of self-confidence, responsibility, team work, and optimism. Best of all, it is a thoroughly enjoyable experience, which creates a special relationship between rider and horse and promotes overcoming personal challenges. Despite increased global awareness and efforts to promote equality, persons living with disabilities continue to suffer from discrimination throughout the world. They are often inadvertently excluded from social, economic, and political processes in their societies, creating disparities in the quality of life when compared with the general population. To help overcome disparities in today's society, Prince Salman Center for Disability Research promotes constructive engagement and policy dialog to demonstrate that reform can lead to mutual benefits. As an advocate for change, PSCDR explores effective ways to benefit persons living with disabilities.
