People of Determination in the UAE will soon have a dedicated social media platform. The app, called Inclusive, enables supporters of inclusion in local communities to connect, collaborate with each other and promote the inclusion of People of Determination into the community.
Inclusive links People of Determination with individuals, special centres, policymakers, government bodies, institutions and enterprises that support them. Through its three pillars: community, awareness and opportunity, Inclusive has been accepted among the first members of the Ma’an Social Incubator as one of ten start-ups.
To be launched in March, Inclusive will provide a secure, online and accessible space for people of all abilities to discuss and work for the inclusion of People of Determination into their local communities.
The application will also serve as an online umbrella for all things related to inclusion, so the community can collaborate to integrate People of Determination into everyday activities and events.
The initiative is founded by Hafsa Qadeer, who created Inclusive, driven by the lack of credible information and accessible activities for her sibling, Ahmed Qadeer, a Person of Determination who was diagnosed with Spinal Bifida at birth. “Growing up, I realised it is not people who are disabled, but the approach of a community towards a Person of Determination that can be disabled and unequal. It is important to realise inclusion is a generalised behaviour within communities.
Through our three pillars: community, awareness and opportunity, and under our initiative, #IAmInclusive, we encourage everyone in the community to collaborate with us and make the programmes more inclusive. We are here as catalysts to facilitate this transition to more inclusive communities,” said Qadeer.
She further noted that the through the social media platform, they can integrate inclusion in their daily lifestyles. “We are grateful for the positive response our initiatives receive from residents and nationals of the UAE,” added Qadeer.
To date, Inclusive has organised three nationwide campaigns, including the first-ever online recipe contest in the UAE for teams of determination, in collaboration with the Abu Dhabi Culinary Season.
It continues to collaborate with over 15 community partners in the UAE, including the Mohammed Bin Rashid Centre for Special Education, to organise accessible events in different emirates.
