Advancing the Inclusive Agenda for People of Determination in the UAE Through Sustainable Innovations

Abstract

According to the United Nations, around 10% of the world’s population live with either a medical impairment or a disability. An impairment is regarded as a medically identified condition or a long-term limitation of a person’s physical, mental, cognitive, communicative and/or sensory functions. Impairments become disabilities when the person experiences attitudinal, social and/or environmental barriers that prevent full and effective participation within a community. Therefore, a disability is the result of an individual’s interaction with society, if barriers to participation for that person are not removed. It is not an attribute of the person. This awareness has prompted the government of the United Arab Emirates to respond to the call for a more inclusive society where barriers to participation are removed for people living with disabilities and those who may feel marginalized because of social or economic exclusion. This is part of a wider strategic plan which, in addition to education, incorporates health, equal opportunity, universal accessibility and advocacy in the vision of what an inclusive society should look like in the future. This chapter will focus on the disruptive innovations and the challenges to sustainable and inclusive development within the United Arab Emirates.