JEDDAH: Jeddah will see the launch Wednesday of ‘Hope Caravan', a special event which aims to highlight the plight of people with disabilities in Jeddah. There are an estimated 150,000 people living with some kind of physical and mental disability in the city. Prince Sultan Bin Nasir Bin Abdul Aziz, businesspeople, and 500 members of the public will attend the event. The Jeddah Hope Center for the rehabilitation of people with disabilities, in cooperation with the Ministry of Social Affairs and the Haga Group, is organizing the event. The events of the Caravan take place over one year and will include symposiums about disabilities, workshops and lectures to promote voluntary work. There will also be tours to the city's commercial centers to encourage businesspeople to employ people with disabilities. The launch of the event will also see the announcement of a building to cater for females with disabilities. Dr. Wasif Kabuli, head of the Jeddah Hope Center, said the initiative is part of attempts to ensure that people with disabilities are able to become effective members of society. Kabuli estimates there are about 150,000 people with disabilities in the city, but that only 6,000 currently get any benefit from private and public sector disability centers. He said there should be more centers. Hosni Halawani, supervisor of the Jeddah Hope Center, pointed out that the center has trained 106 people with disabilities and found them jobs in various industries. “We now have about 75 people with different types of impairments. Some of these suffer from autism,” said Halawani. Some of the people have been trained in skills such as wood and leather works, carpentry, packaging and clay works. “The center does not only provide trainees with knowledge but also boosts their self-confidence,” he added. It is noteworthy that the Human Resources Development Fund supports the employment of people with disabilities by paying 50 percent of their monthly salaries. Moreover, a person with a disability is counted as four employees in the Saudization ratio at private sector companies.
