Qatar’s evolving approach to the rights of persons with disabilities reflects an important shift in how inclusion is understood.
The real measure of progress is not simply how many services are provided, but whether people with disabilities can participate fully, independently and equally in everyday life.
That shift was clearly expressed by Minister of State for International Cooperation H E Dr. Maryam bint Ali bin Nasser Al Misnad during Qatar’s dialogue with the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in Geneva. Her description of the country’s journey, from care to rights and from protection to empowerment, captures a change that deserves recognition.
In her remarks, the Minister of State for International Cooperation said Qatar’s journey in the field of the rights of persons with disabilities has moved from care to rights, from providing services to removing barriers, from protection to empowerment, and from viewing persons with disabilities as beneficiaries to recognising them as active partners in society and development.
“True empowerment does not simply mean providing a service; it means removing a barrier. It does not simply mean opening a door; it means ensuring that the door is accessible to everyone. Persons with disabilities are not on the margins of development, but at its heart. They are not recipients of development, but partners in shaping it,” she added.
Law No. (22) of 2025 on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities is particularly significant. By strengthening protections against discrimination and recognising the denial of reasonable accommodation as discrimination, the law moves disability rights beyond the idea of charity. It places equality, accessibility, autonomy and participation within a rights-based framework.
What makes Qatar’s efforts particularly noteworthy is that inclusion is increasingly being addressed in practical ways. The ‘Yusr’ digital platform aims to make information and services more accessible to persons with disabilities and their families.
The ‘Sukoon’ application supports deaf users through a digital version of the Unified Arabic Sign Language Dictionary, while ‘Accessible Qatar’ helps people identify accessible public and tourist facilities.
Healthcare, rehabilitation, education, employment and social protection are equally important. Initiatives involving prosthetics, assistive technologies and specialised rehabilitation can make a profound difference to independence and quality of life.
Programmes encouraging participation in sports, culture and recreation also reinforce an essential message: disability should never mean exclusion from community life.
Qatar’s international engagement adds another dimension. Its support for the International Day of Deafblindness, its work on autism and preparations to host the Fourth Global Disability Summit in Doha in 2028 demonstrate a willingness to contribute beyond its national borders.
