A. Figures and statistics

Persons with disabilities make up 1.5 per cent of the total population in Oman. The statistical bulletin issued by the National Centre for Statistics and Information shows that hearing impairments are the most prevalent form of disability in the country. These cases appear at birth and are mostly caused by marriage between relatives or between persons with disabilities. In terms of education, uneducated persons with disabilities primarily fall in the age group of 60 years and above. In terms of employment, 33 per cent of persons with disabilities work, with 82 per cent of them working in the public and private sectors. The percentage of persons with disabilities who are in employment is 84.6 per cent among males and 15.4 per cent among females. Of these, 20.1 per cent are in clerical roles. A total of 3,341 persons with disabilities are retired. With regard to marital status, 42 per cent of persons with disabilities are married, most of them being male.[1]

Data from the Ministry of Social Development show that disability cards have been issued to 46 students enrolled in university, 30 of whom are male and 16 are female students. The data showed that four individuals are undertaking postgraduate studies, three of whom are male and only one is female. Only one person made use of residential development services in 2021, as persons with disabilities rarely reside in a separate dwelling from that of their parents, which would previously have been adapted for them.[2] Furthermore, where they do live in separate dwellings, it is the family that arranges for the necessary adjustments to accommodate their needs. Statistics indicate that few families have been unable to do so financially.