Accessibility
While in Qatar, individuals with disabilities may find accessibility and accommodation very different from what you find in the United States. Qatar is a signatory to the UN Convention on the Rights of Disabled Persons, and is working to ensure that Qatari laws and codes comply with the Convention. Qatar’s leadership has dedicated a quasi-government institution, the Shafallah Institute, to the issue of accessibility, accommodation, and integration of people with disabilities into all the various sectors of Qatari life – including education, employment, transportation, and medical care. Individuals with disabilities, however, may still find public places difficult to access (i.e., scarcity of ramps, TTY or TDD communication systems, Braille signs, and/or appropriate restroom facilities) and public transportation such as buses and taxis unfamiliar with procedures required to accommodate people with disabilities.