Disabled people in Jeddah are demanding access to entertainment that would help them discharge their repressed energy. “We hope that officials will not deprive us from entertainment and will compensate us for the many blessings that we miss,” spokesman of a group for disabled children told Al-Madina newspaper. Mohammed Al-Ghamdi is a child with a disability who wants to be like others of his age. His brother Ahmed often takes him to the local park in the evening where he watches kids playing but cannot join them. His father Fayez Al-Selamy said: “I'm having difficulty finding suitable entertainment activities for Mohammed. Now his psychological state is down because most districts in Jeddah have playgrounds but there are none for kids with disabilities.” Entertainment Maatug Al-Shareef, Head of Saudi Association for Child Welfare and a human rights observer, said: “It is clear that we lack special services for people with special needs in our society even though the Kingdom signed the agreement for rights of people with special needs in 2008. This agreement is to enhance and protect the private rights of people with special needs, to ensure equality and to maintain their rights and thoughts. But we have yet to see improvement since signing the agreement.” “This legislation was brought in to protect disabled people's dignity and respect their abilities that play a key role in the development of Saudi society. “There is no entertainment for people with special needs in the parks. Jeddah municipality is planning new areas of entertainment, but they are not for kids with special needs,” he said. The Saudi Association for Child Welfare is now demanding equal rights to help such kids merge with the society. Al-Shareef believes this could happen if the municipality works with other specialized associations under expert supervision. Legitimacy of rights Mohammed Al-Qahtani, Assistant General Director of Jeddah Legal Affairs, said: “Kids with special needs are a segment of our society and governmental bodies should provide special spaces for them regardless of cost, because they have rules that need execution.” “Anyone who breaks the rules should be punished. We shouldn't show any leniency to whoever violates their rights,” he added. Abuse Disability Specialist Dr. Esam Nasrtona said: “Isolating this segment increases psychological disabilities, which could be caused by abuse and violation of their civil rights.” He says disabled people should be integrated with normal kids, especially in entertainment, because this would improve their status by allowing them to discharge their psychological energy. Parks for kids with special needs The Director General of the Department of Parks, Landscaping and Public Facilities in Jeddah Municipality, Bahjat Hamua, says that Jeddah municipality supports the rights of the children with special needs by providing them with all possible facilities. “By the end of next month, the municipality will install safe games that are suitable for normal and disabled kids. There are new park projects to install different types of entertainment for the blind and mentally challenged. We will also make 50 walking tracks that can also accommodate wheelchairs.” Bahjat said that the Jeddah Municipality always seeks to fulfill the needs of the disabled children “because they are part of our community and we shouldn't isolate them”. “We should not underestimate kids with disabilities because they are a part of society's development. They too have many ideas that can help in improving the community,” he added.
