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Prof helps jumpstart disabilities program in Dubai
5:48 p.m., Oct. 17, 2006--Takamul is Arabic for “completing,” and is the name of an initiative in Dubai, one of the United Arab Emirates, to help and empower persons with disabilities, according to Michael Gamel-McCormick, director of the Center of Disabilities Studies and professor of individual and family studies at UD. Involved in establishing the program in Dubai, he said the term “takamul” implies that no society is complete without the inclusion of persons with disabilities. Takamul had its start through the efforts of Sandra Willis, a special education professor at Zayed University, Dubai, and a Lebanese citizen, who was educated at the University of Alabama at Tuscaloosa. There was no research and service program for persons with disabilities in Dubai, and, with government approval, Willis began a search for help in establishing a program. Through the Association of University Centers on Disabilities, Gamel-McCormick and four others--Barbara LeRoy of Wayne State University Developmental Disabilities Institute, David O'Hara of the Westchester Institute of Human Development, Bill Kiernan of the University of Massachusetts Institute of Community Inclusion and George Jesien, executive director of the Association of University Centers on Disabilities--were asked to form a team to help launch Takamul. The team first met with Ahmad Bin Byat, chairperson of the Dubai Education Council, and others in Washington, D.C., in September 2005 and then flew to Dubai in March. “Starting from zero with no programs for persons with disabilities, Takamul got off to a jump start,” Gamel-McCormick said. “We were housed and worked in an office/hotel complex, called Knowledge Village, and 16-hour working days were not unusual.” A city-state about the size of Delaware, Dubai is a relatively wealthy nation with a large port, worldwide investments and almost full employment, Gamel-McCormick said. In general, the people of Dubai are very proud of their children, including children with disabilities, who are generally cared for at home. But, there was interest in creating a modern, lifelong program, beginning at birth, to include children with special needs in society. “Working together, we established goals and best practices for implementing programs, and Takamul moved forward quickly,” Gamel-McCormick said. The goals included newborn screening, early diagnosis and intervention; inclusive education; a Center for Disability Studies; transition and employment services; information, communication and assistive technology; building and program accessibility; and marketing and outreach involving disability-related information to society. In September, the team returned to Dubai to implement Takamul, hiring staff, including many from the U.S., ordering equipment and setting up service, research and training facilities similar to UD's Early Learning Center. “Once the decision to go ahead with the project was made, those in charge were positive and professional about Takamul and ready to do business,” Gamel-McCormick said. “The infant screening program will be better than many of the newborn screening programs in the United States,” he said. “In the U.S. babies are screened for 20-30 congenital disorders. In Dubai, they will be screened for more than 200 congenital disorders, which will not only help children and their families, but also provide a comprehensive database for research.” One of Takamul's goals is to educate children with special needs so that they can fully participate in society and do real work in real organizations, Gamel-McCormick said. To carry out this goal, they have sought assistance from international organizations. Takamul's Center for Disability Studies is similar to UD's Center for Disability Studies in its goals of training, education, research and development and mirrors university centers on disabilities in the U.S., Gamel-McCormick said. Focusing on research, family support, program development and information dissemination, the goal is to ensure that all individuals with disabilities have the right and responsibilities of all citizens. On campus, Gamel-McCormick is involved in the building of a house on South College Avenue for young adults with cognitive and/or physical disabilities to live in the community. The house is being donated by Micki Edelsohn's Homes for Life Foundation and will be owned by UD. “The house is built to support independent living for persons with disabilities. Located close to recreational, educational and employment opportunities, the house will provide an opportunity for young adults to make the transition to the community living options of their choosing,” Gamel-McCormick said. “It also will provide training to UD students enrolled in disabilities studies courses.” Article by Sue Moncure |
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