Fatima Muhammad
Saudi Gazette
JEDDAH — At least 45 male disabled individuals — all above 14 years and of different nationalities — get same basic language skills and are trained on ways to become independent and enjoy outdoor activities.
These students are members of Nida Al-Amal center for rehabilitation of disabled individuals. The center, located on Madinah Road, has different classes. Each class has a maximum of 5 students and is equipped with a bathroom and smart boards as well as learning tools.
Saudi Gazette toured the center recently. It is unlike other centers as accepts all 14 plus students without any restrictions. Other centers do not accept students who are above 14 years old unless they were previously registered in the same center at a younger age.
The center has total budget of SR2.5 million and has different gym and classroom facilities. It also has physiologist, sociologist and a speech-language therapist.
Mohammad Turkustani, management consultant of the center, said they have prepared an evacuation plan designed for disabled people in case of fire. This, he noted, is challenging given that the disabled people tend to panic easily and resist interaction with others. “After two months of intensive training we managed to train our students on ways to follow an evacuation plan in case of emergency situations.”
The center also trains students to be members of scout team. Students are also trained in their own languages and are exposed to swimming, playing different sports, doing basic mathematics and interacting with others without fear.
The center registers the students through a fingerprint system and notify their parents as soon as their arrival at the center. There are about 100 monitoring cameras in and around the center. This, noted Turkustani, is essential to monitor the center and detect any violations of the regulations.
The total expenditure incurred on each disabled person is SR70,000 per year. The government pays only 40 percent for Saudi individuals. “We provide a humanitarian service, we do not distinguish between Saudis and expatriates. We accept every person and we build relations with families and help them.”
The center, added Turkustani, conducts social studies on families and based on them it decides the amount that the family has to pay on behalf of its child, which might be as low as SR300.
Special rooms in the center are equipped to train students on how to develop sewing and painting skills. A special hall is also prepared where parents and interested people can receive training and listen to lectures about disabilities and methods to deal with people with special needs.
There are plans to open a similar center for girls of the same age group. “There is only one government center for women, we want to have a special center for women to help them learn and become a constructive member of the society,” said Turkustaini.
