TRA affirms continuing support for people with special needs with launching of new specialized bus for PWD’s

Announcement made during the ‘Hafelaty’ event of the ‘Rashid Centre for the Disabled’

The Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) has expressed its continuing commitment towards supporting people with special needs and people with disabilities (PWD's)--treating them as important members of society and affording them with the same rights that all citizens and residents of the UAE enjoy. The TRA also supports the efforts to provide this segment with the necessary training and qualification that will allow them to fend for themselves and also serve the country as well. In line with this, the TRA has announced the launching of a new specialized bus for PWD's to complement the 'Hafelaty' program, an initiative of the 'Rashid Centre for the Disabled' to transport disabled students.

The provision of the new bus falls under TRA’s corporate social responsibility (CSR)—aiming to transport disabled students, facilitate their movement and provide a comfortable means of travel to help ensure their successful completion in the qualifying programs provided by the centre. This initiative is also part of the various programs launched by TRA in support of disabled children.

The bus has special features to support its PWD passengers such as movable stairways, wide spaces for wheel chairs, big doors, internal signals for students with hearing disability, voice commands for students with vision disability and many other features that have been designed for compliance with set global PWD standards.

Mohammed Rashid Al Ketbi, Acting Deputy Director General for Support Service Sector, expressed happiness on the recent launch and the successful collaboration with the ‘Rashid Centre for the Disabled,’ which is widely recognized for its key programs and initiatives catering to the disabled. Al Ketbi confirmed the TRA’s continuing efforts to help the plight of PWD’s because of the important roles they play in society—helping them in their journey to acquire essential skills and start their own career path. He also called on different organizations and individuals to increase their awareness on understanding the disabled and urged them to participate in CSR programs for PWD’s.

“We should continue to protect and take care of members of the PWD community--providing these people with the much needed facilities and required care, which in turn, will reflect the UAE's stance towards social justice and equality. As the world today leans toward a more electronic lifestyle, the TRA has set goals of supporting PWD's with a wide range of benefits and privileges that they can acquire and utilize minus the burden of moving around,” said Al Ketbi.

The inauguration of the new specialized bus, which will bear the TRA logo, will be led by His Highness (H.H.) Juma Bin Hasher Al Maktoum, sponsor for the ‘Rashid Centre for the Disabled’ and will be joined by representatives from the TRA and other invited guests.

According to TRA, enabling the disabled and ensure that their needs are provided is a part of the strategy to achieve happiness, in response to the directives of H.H. Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai. The directive particularly covers the move to increase efforts in providing proper and distinctive services for the disabled to raise their happiness and engage them in society, as well as help achieve happiness for their families.

The TRA has created and adopted various CSR programs and initiatives in conjunction with the happiness strategy. This has resulted in the successful implementation of several social initiatives within various levels and fields—further consolidating its belief in developing society members’ skills by providing them with trainings and programs to help in the UAE’s move towards continuous development and prosperity.