UAE is a notable example of a country that has always embraced people of determination.

Globally and throughout history, thousands of children were left behind, denied access to general education schools, and did not receive basic rights such as the right to employment and social integration because they experience special educational needs and disabilities(SEND). Moreover, often parents of these children were stigmatized by society, which saw these disabilities as a curse or a punishment by God. Further, in some cases, they were excluded from general education schools and lived in isolation or were placed in special schools. They faced stigma, exclusion, discrimination, bullying, violence, negative attitudes from society, and poor health care systems.

After so many years of struggle and neglect, between 1965 and 2008, these children received increased attention and support at different levels. The United Nations (UN), for example, has sought to provide clear policies and guidance to bring down all barriers and strengthen global efforts toward effective inclusion. It put forward the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, which provides a legal framework for all issues related to people with disabilities and their right to receiving education in an inclusive setting.

Hence, the issue of promoting the rights of people with SEND was raised internationally. Many countries acknowledged the importance of inclusion within society and passed legislation to promote their right to access education and gain other basic services like their peers. This change of attitude brought changes to special education programs in public and private schools to ensure that each individual with SEND receives an equal, fair, and significant opportunity in education to empower them to join the community.

People of determination have been always treated with enormous respect in UAE; tradition and culture provide a foundation for social responsibility among all members of society. This means that these individuals' needs are not solely the responsibility of their families; it is a priority of the entire Emirati society, which contributed to UAE's position among the first countries to support people of determination in all fields of life. 

As part of the UAE's commitment to inclusive education in school, the federal law 29/2006 was outlined with the purpose of supporting the rights of people with special educational needs and disabilities. In addition, the UAE is among the countries that signed the Optional Protocol of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. In regard to the protection of the rights of persons with disabilities, more legislation and laws have been passed in the UAE over the past decade and a half. 

The UAE laws specify that students with SEND shall not be obstructed from being admitted into or attending an educational institution, regardless it being a public or private institution. In addition, MOE supports national and international educational principles of inclusion, thus, SEND students are taught in regular classrooms with their peers, with necessary assistance, and in an environment designed to suit their individual educational needs.

Additionally, the UAE has encouraged the opening of many training and rehabilitation centers throughout the country, and has made numerous efforts to integrate students with special needs into mainstream educational settings, and has stipulated that all schools, both public and private, are to offer and ensure equal access to all children. All these changes and laws facilitate the enrolling of SEND students in mainstream schools. These developments have reflected positively on the special education field in schools across the UAE. Today, there are many schools in the UAE that welcome students with special needs and disabilities, providing them opportunities to learn side by side with other students.

It could be said that the UAE is a notable example of a country that has always supported students of determination.

Mona Abuhatab

Specialist in special education and inclusion