Culture & Education | Sunday 22 March, 2015 12:07 am |

UNDER THE PATRONAGE AND IN THE PRESENCE OF HH SHEIKH NAHAYAN MUBARAK AL NAHAYAN

Under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Nahayan Mubarak Al Nahayan, UAE Minister of Culture, Youth and Community Development, Honorary President of the Future Centre for Special Needs in Abu Dhabi, ABILITIESme Conference and Exhibition, the Middle East’s leading disabilities support platform, have announced the 2015 event’s major speakers and the list is a who’s who of world-class thought leaders from varying disciplines. HH Sheikh Nahayan Mubarak Al Nahayan will inaugurate ABILITIESme next Tuesday 24 March 2015 at 10:00 am at ADNEC – Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

To further raise awareness and boost empowerment of people with special needs in the country and the region – an in depth look at the increasingly acclaimed corporate social responsibility – the speaker list offers a diverse range of topics for delegates to discuss, debate and learn about.

The keynote speaker on Day One of the conference is Her Excellency Mariam Saif Al Qubaisi, Head of Special Needs Sector, Zayed Higher Organization for Humanitarian Care and Special Needs (ZHO). Her Excellency will be highlighting the wide range of integrated serviced offered by ZHO, aiming at rehabilitating disabled people for inclusion into the community, in addition to introducing new policies that will enhance the life of people with disabilities.

Joining Al Qubaisi is Sheikha Dr. Alya Al Qassimi, Director of the Social Programs and Inclusion Department, Community Development Authority. During her address, Al Qassimi will showcase the outstanding social services provided by CDA to people with disabilities, through empowering them, integrating them into society and securing a decent life that would enable them to reach their potential and fulfill their dreams. CDA works diligently on several programs and initiatives intended to specifically address the needs of People with Disabilities and thereby helping them overcome any challenges they may face.

Dr. Matti Kuorelahti, Director of the Department of Education, University of Jyväskylä, Finland will also join the speakers on day One. Dr. Kuorelahti, discussing School Inclusion, has been instrumental in strengthening the realization of national strategies for special education needs (SEN) and inclusion in Finland, whilst collaborating closely with governmental and other partners across Europe, Japan and the USA. Dr. Kuorelahti is particularly involved with bridging gaps between science and practices in schools and communities, so as to support the widest range of young people who are in need of support at some point in their lives. He has published more than 40 scientific articles and book chapters on the science of SEN, specializing on learning difficulties in inclusive settings, especially students’ engagement in education.

Day Two of the conference will feature Dr. Lucy Miller, Executive Director, SPD Foundation, USA, who will be discussing “A Paradigm Shift for Treatment and Research in Sensory Processing Disorder”. Dr. Miller is synonymous with sensory research, education, and treatment, and is the founder of the first comprehensive Sensory Processing Disorder research program nationwide and author of groundbreaking Sensational Kids: Hope and Help for Children with Sensory Processing Disorder and No Longer A SECRET: Unique Common Sense Strategies for Children with Sensory or Motor Challenges.

Day Two’s second speaker is the 24 year old Iraqi Zainab Al-Eqabi. A graduate of Sharjah University, College of Pharmacy with an Academic standing of honor and excellence, Al-Eqabi will take the audience through her personal journey with disability, having lost her leg at the age of 7 due to both an old bomb left from war and a medical mistake. Her message is to change mentalities toward disabled people in the Arab world and encourage people with disability to live their lives more positively and use their condition in their favor, to live their life to its fullest with no limits.

ABILITIESme in its second edition is organized and managed by dmgevents, and will be held from March 24 – 26, 2015 at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC) in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.


About dmgevents
An international exhibition and publishing company, dmgevents produces market-leading exhibitions and conferences for the global energy, construction, digital marketing, coatings, hospitality and interior industries, with events in the Middle East, America, Europe and Asia.

As a leading supplier of face-to-face business information, with a customer-centric focus that localizes operations and relationships, our objectives are to keep businesses informed and connect them with relevant consumers to create vibrant marketplaces across multiple event platforms and communities.

Founded in 1989, dmgevents has operated in the Middle East since 1995 and owns many leading brands such as The Big 5 construction events, ADIPEC the oil & gas exhibition and conference and INDEX the interior design exhibition. For more information visit www.dmgeventsme.com

dmgevents is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Daily Mail and General Trust plc (DMGT, www.dmgt.com), an international portfolio of digital, information, media and events businesses.

For further information, please visit www.abilitiesme.com