Disabled Committees
High Commission for Disabled Affairs
Out of concern for a wider and more comprehensive contribution to services and programs for persons with disabilities, the Law No (74) of 2006 on the Care, Rehabilitation and Employment of Persons with Disabilities states clearly the formation of a committee headed by the Minister of Social Development, and its membership includes representatives from the governmental, civil and private sectors.
The Cabinet Resolution No. (5) of 2020 came to reform the Supreme Committee for Disabled Affairs and to update the names of representatives of official authorities and civil societies in the membership of the committee. The committee aims to study and prepare the general policy, laws, regulations, rules and projects related to the care, rehabilitation and employment of persons with disabilities in the Kingdom of Bahrain and to define the regulatory procedures related to the implementation of the obligations of the official and private authorities as stipulated in this law.
At the current stage, the committee’s interest and focus is directed to update the strategy and the national plan for the rights of persons with disabilities for the next five years in conjunction with intensive monitoring and follow-up of all authorities concerned with the implementation of the strategy within an advanced, practical and ambitious action plan that contributes to the achievement of the major objectives sought to fulfill the strategy and realize the same on the ground. By means of linking and coordination between the various state agencies and civil society institutions, the committee seeks to work on developing a national framework for monitoring and follow-up that meets the level of ambition and contributes to the advancement of the affairs of persons with disabilities in various aspects.
In accordance with the provisions of the aforesaid law, the Supreme Commission assumes heavy responsibilities, particularly as it has been assigned to study and prepare the general policy for the care and rehabilitation of persons with disabilities in the Kingdom of Bahrain.
Committee’s Terms of Reference:
- To monitor laws and regulations related to the affairs of persons with disabilities and to follow up on their implementation.
- To propose draft laws and regulations related to the care, rehabilitation and employment of persons with disabilities.
- To prepare regulations and contracts on the provision of financial grants for persons with disabilities.
- To provide legal consultations.
- To monitor the aspects of disbursement on the implementation of the plan of the Supreme Committee.
- To protect persons with disabilities and to enhance their legal protection.
- To perform any other tasks assigned to it by the Supreme Committee and the Executive Office.
The Disability Evaluation Commission
The National Committee for the Assessment and Diagnosis of Disability was formed under the chairmanship of His Excellency the Welfare and Social Rehabilitation Assistant Undersecretary . Its membership includes representatives of all government agencies related to the affairs of disabled. It is specialized in the following tasks:
- Studying the medical, educational, psychological and rehabilitative reports on a periodic basis; assessing the cases of persons with disabilities, and preparing the necessary reports on them.
- Standardizing psychological tests to assess the mental abilities, behavioral and educational disorders of persons with disabilities.
- Coordinating with Ministry of Health regarding diagnosing and determining the type and degree of disability from a medical point of view, and helping to detect it earlier in children.
- Coordinating with Ministry of Education in the educational, behavioral and psychological fields for people with disabilities in order to integrate them into governmental schools.
Advisory Committee on the Disability Compensation
It is an advisory and evaluation committee that includes officials and specialists from the ministry in addition to consulting doctors from the Ministry of Health and the Gulf University, according to the different types of disabilities. Its goal is to decide on the various requests for physical, mental, psychological, audio and visual, as well as multiple disabilities received by the Ministry. Then the results on the accepted and rejected applications are submitted to the Disability Assessment Committee for approval and to the Social Aid Department in order to disburse the disability allowance for the accepted applications and notify the applicants of the rejection of their applications, if any.
Advisory Committee on disbursement of prosthetic devices and assistive devices for disabled:
In 2011, an advisory committee to decide on requests for the exchange of prosthetic devices for persons with disabilities was established. Its membership includes officials and specialists from the ministry, along with an occupational therapist from the Ministry of Health, as it stipulates that whoever wishes to benefit from prosthetic devices must fulfill the following:
- The applicant must be among the beneficiaries of the disability allowance.
- The applicant must be a Bahraini national or born to a Bahraini mother having a permanent resident status in the Kingdom of Bahrain.
- The applicant should not be less than two years old and not more than sixty years old.
- The applicant must submit an occupational treatment report indicating the type of device required and its suitability for the case for a request for a special wheelchair, and a medical report for the degree of hearing for a request for a medical stethoscope.
- That the applicant or his/her supporting family be of limited income, where the family income does not exceed BD1500 when submitting the application.
The committee shall consider the applicant’s need for the compensation kit, and the extent of his/her ability to benefit from it, provided that the committee issues its decision within a month from the date of submitting the request to accept or reject the request with an explanation of the reasons for rejection. The applicant shall announce the decision by a registered letter with acknowledgment of receipt.