Sheikha Hossa stresses importance of awareness for handicapped individuals issues

Special reporter to the United Nations Committee for Social Development highlighted Wednesday importance of the first regional conference on handicapping saying it gives mentally handicapped persons a spotlight.

"The conference underlines individuals, especially those mentally handicapped, the right to entertainment and practice of sport, a basic right spoken off in the UN documents," Sheikha Hossa Khalifa al-Thani told SANA.

She noted the symposium which is the first regional meeting of its kind that is currently held in Syria, would help change the image of the handicapped individuals and would contribute to raising the social consciousness by briefing on the individuals handicapped activities and what could they do if the society encourages them. Sheikha Hossa called to look at handicapped individuals in a positive way and to deal with them away from pity or charity but with a view of them having rights and roles in their environment.

She noted that services presented to the handicapped in the Arab states were not focused on the same goals, calling Arab societies to work to encourage expertise exchange in this respect.

Meantime, Prime Minister Naji Otari received Sheikha Hossa today and discussed cooperation ties in field of social care and expertise exchange on the level of rehabilitating mentally handicapped individuals and merging them into work fields as well society and normal life.

The 1st special Regional Olympiad Conference on Wednesday continued deliberations with a morning session on how to integrate mentally retarded people in the society. The symposium started Tuesday and would be wrapped up today.