By Muhammed Aladdin
Emirati national Nawal Hajj Nasser Abdullah Al-Nasser, Deputy Chairwoman of the Emirates Down Syndrome Association, has won the 2019 World Down Syndrome Day award in the individual category. This was in recognition of her inspiring achievements to enhance the lives of those with Down Syndrome and helping many of them cope with the condition.
The group Down Syndrome International announced Al-Nasser’s win, adding that she is to be honored at the World Down Syndrome Congress scheduled to take place in 2020 in Dubai.
Al-Nasser is part of the Emirates Down Syndrome Association, which was established in 2006, and since then have had a significant impact on improving the quality of life of those with Down Syndrome. That in addition to raising awareness in public, effectively diminishing the stigma surrounding the genetic condition.
Members of the latter association congratulated fellow member and deputy chairwoman on winning the award, citing her dedication to the cause.
The World Down Syndrome Awards are presented to individuals or entities whose voluntary, professional, or scientific activities have helped people with Down Syndrome or helped advance humanity’s understanding of the condition.
Our region has had a long-standing stigma when it comes to special needs and the differently-abled community; many Arabs view it as a disease. However, every day, the abilities and talents of people with such conditions and their prevalence over day-to-day struggles prove otherwise.
For instance, last month, people with Down Syndrome shattered expectations at the 2019 Abu Dhabi Special Olympics World Games, breaking one record after the other and rising above the challenges.
Indeed, at the end of the day, we all are humans, and each of us, in their own way, are capable of achieving amazing things; the rest of us should be supportive.
In the past two years, several Arab countries celebrated people with disability, ensuring they have equal opportunities, a significant role in the workplace, as well as the chance to pursue sports success.
