Etisalat signs MoU to provide special telecom services for UAE residents with special needs

This was signed during MECOM 2007 in the presence of Her Excellency Mariam Al Roumi, UAE Minister of Social Affairs, and aims to bring people with special needs specialized telecommunications products and packages that suit their needs.

The MoU was signed during the week-long celebration of Deaf Week from 20th to 27th of April 2007, which is also sponsored by Etisalat. As an extension of its commitment to enabling everyone to reach regardless, Etisalat is also participating in the campaign communication of Federal law number 29 of 2006, and has also sponsored a guide book that lists all agencies and organizations in the UAE that work with people with special needs or provide them with services.

Etisalat also announced that packages and services specially designed for people with special needs will be launched soon, and will include discounted rates and a range of services.

HE Abdullah Al Suweidi, Deputy Minister of Social Affairs, said: "Etisalat is committed to its association with the Ministry of Social Affairs, to provide services that will best serve different sections of the community across the nation, including the specialized telecoms solutions for people with special needs. We look forward to working closely with our partners in this initiative and bringing the best possible option to each and every resident of the UAE."

HE Al Suweidi continued, "We appreciate Etisalat's commitment to society and the many ways in which it gives back to the community, including their range of services for people with special needs. We believe that the outcome of this partnership will be better information delivery, and a more relevant range of telecoms services for each and every deserving person, regardless. This we see as also following the spirit of law number 29 of 2006."

Mohamed Mohamed Fadel Al Hamly, Deputy Chairman of the Board and General Secretary of Zayed Higher Organization for Humanitarian Care, said: "This agreement is an initiative to offer people with special needs services that will help them communicate better with the community at large, and we see this happening with advanced services from Etisalat such as video conferencing. We are happy to partner with these organizations in such a meaningful way."

HE Sheikha Jameela Mohammed Al Qassimi, Director General of the Sharjah City for Humanitarian Services, said: "We are very happy to be a part of such a unique partnership, and this agreement will enable each of the entities to bring their expertise to the fore and create a unique and sustainable exercise in making communications easy and accessible for all. We believe that this is the beginning of a long association, and will bring international best practices to the UAE in an affordable and convenient package."

Essa Al Haddad, Chief Marketing Officer, Etisalat said: "With the support of these organizations, we intend to help people with special needs integrate better with society and enrich and enhance their quality of life. These solutions will also help people with special needs communicate more effectively with people at work, summon emergency services and help improve their job opportunities".
Etisalat has spent considerable time studying the specific telecommunications requirements of people with special needs, and developing solutions to improve the access of these services within the UAE.

Ahmed Bin Ali, Vice President- Corporate Communications, Etisalat, said: "Etisalat believes in giving back to the communities within which it operates. Supporting the community is one of Etisalat's key commitments."

The three organizations will provide Etisalat with necessary information that will lead to the development of more suited services, and provide appropriate training to people with special needs in the use of Etisalat services intended for them. The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) commits all parties to work cooperatively to provide telecommunication services for people with special needs and help them communicate more effectively with their families, friends, government entities and colleagues. All four organizations will share knowledge and experience to provide these services.

Etisalat has solutions for people with special needs such as Telecommunications Device for Deaf (TDD), Deaf Interpreter Service (DIS), for video conferencing over broadband, Etisalat presently offers services suitable for people with hearing difficulties such as Fixed-line SMS services, BlackBerry services, 3G data and video calls and Push Email (To be launched). Email Reader and Push to talk are services relevant to visually impaired people.

Etisalat is also keen on improving on the ways that people with special needs can interact with Etisalat, and so has introduced Contact Centre Chat Sessions and the *122# mobile info service and will soon offer an Automated Directory Inquiry Service (ADIS).