Dubai: A helping hand has been extended, changing the lives of eight children with special needs at the Rashid Centre for Disabled in Dubai after struggling for admission due to limited space and a long waiting list — an issue that faces many special needs centres across the city.
Shortage of seats, lack of faculty, equipment and limited availability of classrooms are only some of the challenges that come in the way of getting children with special needs enrolled to help them overcome physical handicaps.
A recent generous contribution from a philanthropist to the Rashid Centre has opened new opportunities for eight children who were among the more than 90 students currently on a waiting list.
The new classroom, sponsored by Dr Rajen Kilachand, Chairman of Dodsal Group and philanthropist, will give these children a new platform to get the required rehabilitation, therapy and education to help integrate them in society, said Mariam Othman, Director-General of Rashid Centre, who believes community support can help the centre support these children.
“If a special needs school cannot accommodate them due to lack of seats or lack of available therapists or some other issue, it leaves the parents with very little choice. When special needs schools can admit children without hesitation, the children can start training and learning life skills in order to give them a good chance at living a healthy and normal life,” she added.
Mariam said the eight students enrolled were already very happy with their class and will now have “the chance to learn the necessary skills in order to have a happy childhood and a shot at a normal life”.
The children admitted to the classroom will be learning basic reading and writing, numeracy, functional reading and writing, including functional numeracy, she said.
She raised the issue of most parents of children with special needs struggling to get kids admission in regular schools even if their disability was very mild.
“Such children need the required therapy and education and therefore turn to special needs schools,” she said. “It is only through such good-hearted people that the centre is able to continue, and will keep doing something good for these special children who deserve the opportunities in life.”
She said the assistance, whether in the form of classroom equipment, school buses, playground equipment, a new class or even helping the students find training or jobs once they graduate, will always be appreciated.
Dr Kilachand, who was honoured as the board member of the centre, met the eight children who were overjoyed to meet him.
“I believe a gifted life such as the one I have been blessed with needs to be lived with full observance to ‘dharma’, which is Sanskrit for the karmic obligation of a human soul to participate morally and ethically on the path of duty which brings wellness to humanity,” said Kilachand.
