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Ò We want people with disabilities not only actively engage in day-to-day activities but also go on to take leadership rolesÓ Ahmed Habib, Head of Communications, Awareness and Outreach, Mada
make it simple for them. This will enable them to get over their barriers. We want people with disabilities not only actively engage in day-to-day activities but also go on to take leadership roles. “Since opening its doors on June 1, 2010, Mada has worked with and on behalf of people with disabilities to connect them to technologies that will improve their lives,” says Habib as he wheels effortlessly around the office explaining more about the organisation. Assistive Technology (AT) is defined as any piece of technology, either bought or modified, that makes people with disabilities gain new abilities or maintain old ones. “People with disabilities along with their families can now come to Mada and make use of the latest technology provided and work with the experts here to find the perfect solution to suit their needs.” A professional assessment team at Mada guides the visitors through the process of training. “We have a comprehensive process. We do not believe in half measures. We give the training and then follow up to see what loopholes have developed and then observe if the technology suited to their specific needs can be arranged.”
A partnership of assistance
Mada is born of key public and private partnerships. ictQatar has partnered with Vodafone, Qtel, QNB and Microsoft to make Mada a reality. “This helps us work on a wider scale,” says Habib. But other partnerships, like an agreement with Bookshare.org has made it possible for users to access over 16,000 books in accessible electronic format. 70
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Mada has also connected with other disabled people’s organisations to enhance their ICT capacity. The IT infrastructure
Ò ArAbiC CoNteNt NeeDeDÓ
of Qatar Social and Cultural Centre for the Blind has also been revamped with the help of Mada. Since its inception, the centre has worked with several schools over summer. “We had a week-long activities at one of the schools for the disabled. We are also working with QU and will be outfitting them with assistive technology. We will also be working with the Supreme Council of Education to see which independent schools we can contribute to,” says Habib.
Organisations come together
Faleh Al Naemi, Director, Mada,
Ò One of the urgent needs that Mada has to address is the lack of Arabic content in assistive technology. This has to be done with a lot of research and we hope to address this too,Ó says Faleh Al Naemi, Director, Mada, who was initially with ictQatar and then later moved to Social Rehabilitation Centre before joining Mada. Ò There are very few centres like Mada which addresses all areas of disabilities while also taking care of training and research. We intend to be the best in the region...Ó
As Qatar aspires to build a fully connected society, one of the key issues identified is digital access for people with disabilities and organisations have come forward to make the country a truly enabled one. “It is part of our responsibility to contribute by making communication more accessible for everyone. This includes handsets, tariffs and services that are specifically tailored to people with special needs,” says Luisa Gentile, Head of Corporate Responsibility at Vodafone Qatar, one of the partners of Mada. The fact that competitors like Qtel and Vodafone have joined hands for an initiative like Mada, is by itself a matter of pride for the country. “When it comes to corporate responsibility, there is no space for competition. We believe in the power of sharing ideas, expertise and projects, even with our competitor,” says Gentile. “Sharing with others is valuable. Mada invited Qtel and Vodafone to come together for the benefit of the country. Both are openly and actively cooperating on this. We meet on weekly bases, sharing
Qatar Today November 10
11/1/10 7:35:56 PM