SR858 million announced for disabled to buy cars

The Ministry of Social Affairs is to soon pay out SR858 million for 5,721 people with disabilities to buy special cars.
The amount would allow for the purchase of 6,300 cars, according to Abdullah Al-Muaiqil, the undersecretary for social and family affairs, a local publication reported.

Each person who applied between 2007 and 2014 would get SR150,000 to buy a car. Al-Muaiqil said all checks will paid within a month at rehabilitation centers across the Kingdom. He said the second phase of the car program includes people with disabilities who had registered this year. He said a committee had been formed to oversee the payments, as stipulated in a royal decree.

Al-Muaiqil said there would likely be 10,700 beneficiaries once everyone registers. The ministry was committed to ensuring the payments take place smoothly.
He said the ministry has 13 programs to serve the disabled including 30 rehabilitation centers housing more than 8,000 beneficiaries. There is also programs with day care, discounts on goods, home care, and monthly aid of SR1,666. 

In addition, the government pays the training fees of 8,000 individuals at private centers. He said the government also pays the visa fees for nurses, maids and drivers needed by people with disabilities.
Further support includes diagnosing students to see whether they qualify for financial aid, and distributing medical equipment and aid for those who wish to start their own vocational projects. 

He said the ministry has been meeting officials from the Human Resources Development Fund to tackle cases where companies are involved in the bogus employment of people with disabilities to boost their Saudization figures.
Al-Muaiqil said the ministry would soon set up three autism centers to unify services. The Ministry of Housing is assisting the ministry to meet the needs of families, he said.