DAMMAM: Prince Sultan bin Salman, chairman of the Prince Salman Center for Disability Research, said the support of US President Barack Obama to stem cell research would be a great boost to efforts to allay the sufferings of the disabled people.

“The Prince Salman Disability Center is currently conducting four major studies on disabilities that prevent physical movement in collaboration with King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center, and some foreign universities involved in stem cell research. The center has also signed agreements with financing houses, such as the Saudi Credit Bank,” Prince Sultan said yesterday while speaking at the second consultative meeting of charity societies organized by the center in collaboration with the Ministry of Social Affairs in Dammam.

The third annual conference on disability research will be held next week.

The prince added that the Prince Salman Center’s services cover all parts of the country. “The present consultative meeting of charity societies aims at the exchange of expertise and familiarizing the potentials and requirements of the societies,” he said.

Addressing the conference, Prince Julawi, the deputy governor of the Eastern Province, said: “The government is striving to integrate disabled people to become productive elements in society.”

Minister of Social Affairs Yousuf Abdullah Al-Othaimeen said the government gives special attention to disabled people and helps in setting up charity organizations for them across the country. The government also builds centers for their comprehensive rehabilitation and social integration and launches job-training programs to suit their individual abilities. The government has also decided recently to double their pension amounts, he said.

The Ministry of Social Affairs is taking care of 100,000 disabled persons, the minister said.

While speaking to journalists after the meeting, Al-Othaimeen wondered why no disabled person was nominated to the board of directors of charity societies that care for them.

Talat Wazna, director of medical services at the ministry, said the ministry took steps to end the difficulty in supplying sufficient numbers of hearing and visual aids and equipment that help the disabled people to move around.

About 100 members representing 25 charity organizations in addition to several other people interested in serving the disabled participated in the event.