President Waheed has presented the “Disability Award 2012”

President Dr Mohamed Waheed has presented the Disability Award 2012 for individuals and organizations working for the rights of the disabled.

Speaking at the ceremony held last evening at Dharubaaruge, the President spoke on the importance of creating a better environment for the people with a disability, and being a community that puts forward compassion and justice.

The President appealed to all responsible parties to speed up the mandatory commitments and complete the regulations that need to be met, as per the Disability Act.

In his speech, the President said that the compassion and justice in a society would be most evidently demonstrated through the kindness and caring shown towards the underprivileged in the society. Speaking in this regard, the President noted that the government has been organising and implementing different programmes, especially for the rights of the disabled.

The President also noted that the responsibility of ensuring the rights of the disabled first falls on the government, and assured that the government was always carrying out that responsibility as best as possible.

The Disability Award is an annual award, the first of its kind in the Maldives, conferred by the Ministry of Gender, Family and Human Rights, and the Disability Council, in recognition of individuals and organisations for their work in protecting the rights of the disabled.

President Dr Mohamed Waheed presented to the awardees, the commemorative plaques from the President; and from the Ministry of Gender, Family and Human Rights, and the Disability Council.