The Ministry of Gender and Family held a special ceremony today to mark the International Day of Persons with Disabilities. The ceremony held at Hotel Jen this morning was attended by Minister of Gender and Family H.E. Zenysha Shaheed Zaki as well as Cabinet Ministers, Disability Council members, NGOs working to promote the rights of persons with disabilities, relevant institutions, management and employees of various public service providers.
During the ceremony, Goodwill Ambassadors were appointed for a 2-year period, to assist the Ministry in its efforts to protect and advance the rights of persons with disabilities, identify challenges and support families of persons with disabilities, and raise awareness within the community. Goodwill Ambassadors were appointed based on their contributions and national recognition received for their work to promote the rights of persons with disabilities. The 3 Goodwill Ambassadors are:
- Maryam Faznee
- Ahmed Ansam
- Zihnath Hassan
Certificates were also awarded to the participants of the Basic and Advanced Sign Language course organized by the Ministry to assist public service providers to minimize communication barriers for people with hearing impairments. Over 30 employees from 11 companies completed the courses.
Speaking at the ceremony, Minister Zenysha highlighted the need to work together to build a respectful and inclusive society, provide equal opportunities and increase participation of persons with disabilities.
The International Day of Persons with Disabilities has been marked annually across the world since 3 December 1992.
03 December 2017