Kuwait Has More Than 10,000 People Suffering From Mental Disabilities

The Public Authority for Disability Affairs (PADA) reports that there are 10,280 mentally retarded individuals in Kuwait, and that the number of these individuals who need help, support, listen to their complaints and suffer their families' hardships keeps increasing, and to add to their woes is the scarcity of entertainment places dedicated to this category of people, in addition to a kind of isolation imposed on many by society through wrongful marginalization despite their ability to work, reports Al-Qabas daily.

Especially talented individuals are increasingly demanded to be integrated into society by their families. Mentally retarded individuals, aged 21 and older, suffer the most, and they require special attention.

In a training workshop organized by the center in collaboration with LOYAC for children, Nabil Al-Nassar, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Center for Services for People with Needs, stressed the importance of embracing the disabled and making the most of their free time in order to prove their abilities and potentials, be active members of society, and to assist them with modifying their behavior, rehabilitating, developing and integrating into society.

In addition to developing therapeutic and behavioral programs for mental disabilities, Al-Nassar stressed that the center would offer training courses aimed at developing the affiliates' capabilities and making them self-sufficient by giving them responsibility and encouraging them to integrate social and functional activities inside and outside of the center.

Similarly, Lamia Al-Humaidhi, Vice-Chairman of Center 21, explained that Center 21 is not a school, but a second home for its affiliates over 21, both sexes, with cognitive delays. In a family atmosphere where friendliness, fun, and a prepared environment are prevalent, they are able to enjoy hours of happiness and joy in an environment where they feel safe and comfortable. According to Al-Humaidhi, intellectually disabled individuals over the age of 21 face the following challenges: a lack of recreational facilities suited to their needs, a limited number of day centers to care for them and accommodate their number, and difficulty locating jobs for them, even if their disabilities are simple and they are isolated, lonely, and unable to integrate into society as well.

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