Council of Ministers Decision No. (691) dated 17/08/1445 AH
The Council of Ministers
After reviewing in its session chaired by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, the correspondence received from the Royal Court No. 44429 dated 15/6/1445 AH, regarding the draft regulatory statute for social and professional programs for persons with disabilities, and the draft regulatory statute for non-governmental social establishments for persons with disabilities.
After reviewing the two aforementioned draft statutes.
After reviewing theBasic Statute for the Rehabilitation Programs of Persons with Disabilitiesissued by Council of Ministers Decision No. (34) dated 10/3/1400 AH.
After reviewing theRegulatory Statute for Non-Governmental Rehabilitation Centers for Persons with Disabilitiesissued by Council of Ministers Decision No. (291) dated 4/9/1433 AH.
After reviewing server process No. (304) dated 9/7/1443 AH, memoranda No. (2773) dated 6/12/1443 AH, No. (599) dated 25/2/1444 AH, No. (1996) dated 1/7/1444 AH,
No. (2452) dated 15/8/1444 AH, and No. (2813) dated 4/8/1445 AH, prepared by the Bureau of Experts at the Council of Ministers.
After reviewing the minutes prepared by the Council of Economic and Development Affairs No. (44/1169/M) dated 8/9/1444 AH.
After considering Shura Council Decision No. (91/14) dated 19/5/1444 AH.
After reviewing the recommendation of the General Committee of the Council of Ministers No. (8556) dated 9/8/1445 AH.
It is decided as follows:
First: Approval of the regulatory statute for non-governmental social establishments for persons with disabilities, and the regulatory statute for social and professional programs for persons with disabilities, in the two attached versions.
Second: The Technical and Vocational Training Corporation, when approving training programs for its affiliated establishments directed at persons with disabilities, shall adapt them to suit the needs of persons with disabilities in coordination with the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development.
Third: Anyone practicing the provision of social and professional programs for persons with disabilities must correct their status in accordance with the two statutes referred to in paragraph (First) of this decision and their executive rules, within a period not exceeding two (2) years from their effective date, provided that they submit to the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development a plan to correct their status within a maximum period of six (6) months from the date of entry into force of the statutes and their executive rules.
Fourth: The State shall bear the value-added tax resulting from the social and professional programs provided by the non-governmental sector for persons with disabilities.
Fifth: The application of the provisions related to financial support and the like, contained in the regulatory statute for social and professional programs for persons with disabilities, shall be subject to the approval of the Ministerial Committee for the Social Support and Assistance System - formed pursuant to paragraph (Eighth) of the Council of Economic and Development Affairs Decision No. (1-42/4/Q) communicated by the kind directive in Royal Court telegram No. 28583 dated 23/5/1442 AH - without prejudice to the provisions of the aforementioned statute, and the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development shall take the necessary measures in this regard.
Sixth: The Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development - in coordination with the Ministry of Finance and the Expenditure and Projects Efficiency Authority - shall study increasing the financial support directed to persons with disabilities and report what requires action in this regard.
Seventh: The financial consideration mentioned in Article (3) of the regulatory statute for non-governmental social establishments for persons with disabilities referred to in paragraph (First) of this decision shall be determined in agreement with the Ministry of Finance and the Non-Oil Revenues Development Center.
Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud
Regulations for Social and Vocational Programs for Persons with Disabilities and its Executive Regulation
(Chapter 1) Definitions
Article 1
In these Regulations, the following words and phrases shall have the meanings assigned thereto, unless the context requires otherwise:
Ministry: Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development.
Minister: Minister of Human Resources and Social Development.
Person with a Disability: Any person who has a long-term physical, mental, intellectual, sensory, or psychological disorder or impairment that may, when facing different challenges, prevent him from fully and effectively participating in society on an equal basis with others.
Persons with Disabilities with Special Social Circumstances: Persons with disabilities who do not have a guardian because they are of unknown parentage or do not have a relative in any of the following categories: parents, grandparents, siblings, children, grandchildren, or spouses, or who are under the legal guardianship of the Ministry in terms of guardianship over person because there is no guardian to care for them.
Caregiver of a Person with a Disability: A person who resides with a person with a disability to provide care therefor, whether such person is a family member or is hired for such purpose.
Social Programs: A set of programs through which social services are provided to persons with disabilities to improve their social skills and train them to become as independent as possible in their daily life tasks to ensure their effective participation in the surrounding environment as well as their integration in their families and the community. Such programs include the following: the daily social care program, the home social care program, and the housing program for persons with disabilities.
Daily Social Care Program: A set of social services provided to persons with disabilities in a facility for specified periods during the day.
Home Social Care Program: A set of social services provided to persons with disabilities at their places of residence for specified periods during the day.
Housing Program for Persons with Disabilities: A set of social services provided to persons with disabilities at temporary housing facilities or at their permanent places of residence.
Supportive Social Services: A set of social services provided by the Ministry to a person with a disability based on an assessment of his disability to enable him to become an active participant in the surrounding environment, including benefiting from social and vocational programs.
Assistive Devices: Non-medical and non-educational devices which are provided to assist persons with disabilities in performing daily activities and enable them to effectively and productively participate in community life.
Vocational Programs: A set of vocational training programs offered to persons with disabilities to develop their skills in order to enable them to work and make an honest living.
Facilities: Any governmental or non-governmental facility that offers to persons with disabilities social or vocational programs approved by the Ministry.
Regulations: Regulations for Social and Vocational Programs for Persons with Disabilities.
Implementing Rules: Implementing Rules of the Regulations.
(Chapter 2) Disability Assessment
Article 2
The Ministry shall implement the provisions of these Regulations and their Implementing Rules by undertaking the following:
1. Developing a database for the social conditions of persons with disabilities.
2. Adopting methods for the assessment of disability to determine the appropriate programs for persons with disabilities.
Article 3
The Ministry shall assess disability in coordination with the relevant government agencies, and may assign such task to the non-government sector under its supervision.
(Chapter 3) Professional Programs
Article 4
Article 5
The Implementing Rules shall specify the controls for offering approved vocational programs to persons with disabilities in vocational training facilities specifically designated for persons with disabilities or others.
Article 6
To be accepted in government vocational programs, a person with a disability must:
1. be able to receive vocational training based on the results of the disability assessment;
2. be at least fifteen years old and not more than forty-five years old;
3. not be an employee in the public or private sector; and
4. be a Saudi national, be from a displaced tribe or have a similar status, or be a non-Saudi child whose mother is a Saudi national.