The UAE Cabinet has approved the ‘People of Determination Protection from Abuse Policy’ to empower and protect persons with disabilities by allowing them to participate effectively within a safe community environment that offers them enhanced opportunities and guarantees their right to a dignified life.

The policy aims to protect ‘the determined’ from abuse, empowering them, their families and their co-workers to deal with cases of abuse, enable persons with disabilities to defend themselves and set mechanisms to identify instances of potential maltreatment of people of determination swiftly.

The policy also aims to increase the national cadres specialised in identifying and responding to abuse cases by raising their proficiency in providing adequate care for individuals exposed to maltreatment. It also seeks to provide appropriate restorative programmes for persons with disabilities who have been exposed to any forms of abuse and mitigating the impact of such violence.

It categorises forms of abuse that may be experienced by persons with disabilities as ranging from depriving individuals of their fundamental rights, lack of access to medical care, recreation or community integration, as well as economic or financial abuse.

The law is a response to global statistics and research findings which indicate that adults and children with disabilities are at much higher risk of exposure to violence and abuse than non-disabled peers. It seeks to mitigate psychological and emotional trauma that may accumulate as a result of long-term abuse, in all its forms.