Strengthening the support network around a child with special needs will empower their lives, said Dr Lisa Thornton (pictured), Division Chief of Rehabilitation Medicine, Pediatrics, Sidra Medicine.
Dr Thornton lauded the efforts taken by Qatar to improve the lives of children with special needs, however there is still much more that needs to be done. She, is a big disability rights advocate for the care and services for children with special needs. She urges that public and recreational spaces and other places should be friendly to children with special needs across Qatar.
“During my research before moving to Qatar, I found a series of favourable information on Qatar supporting children with special needs. Qatar is a signatory to the UN Convention on the Rights of Disabled Persons, and is working to ensure that Qatari laws and codes comply with the Convention.
“Many of the laws in Qatar related to people with special needs are similar in terms of rights and reflect laws in the US. It’s pretty impressive,” Dr Thornton told The Peninsula.
“But there is still room for us to make places and events more accessible for children with disabilities. And it is good to see that organisations around Qatar are receptive to making those changes,” she added.
Dr Thornton appreciated that children with disabilities are embraced by the society in Qatar and not discriminated. According to her, accessibility of people with special needs has to be taken into consideration while constructing new buildings and setting up facilities.
Also increasing sport and other activities suitable for children with special needs is another area that can be improved. “There are many things as individuals, organisations and communities that we can do to ensure that we are developing services to help children with special needs,” she said.
“Dr Thornton sees Sidra Medicine playing a key role in community engagement that will connect families to information, partners and support systems that will help children with special needs live a fulfilling life without hindrance. Dr Thornton also advocates for a fan zone for people with special needs during the World Cup 2022.
The Pediatric Rehabilitation Medicine clinic at Sidra Medicine helps manage the health of children with physical disabilities such as paralysis, cerebral palsy and brain damage. Patients are referred internally from Sidra Medicine’s in-house teams, as well as HMC and PHCC.
The clinic is based on a multidisciplinary, community-based approach — working with young patients and their families under the leadership of Dr Thornton, who has over 20 years of experience in the field.
