As much as 42 per cent of the people with disabilities in the Sultanate of Oman are married and majority of them are males.
“The married in the age group of 60 years and above constitute 34.7 per cent of all married persons with disabilities,” reveals a report by National Centre for Statistics and Information (NCSI) using the 2020 e-census data.
About 25 per cent of people with disabilities were registered in North Al Batina Governorate, followed by Muscat Governorate with 15.9 per cent. The lowest percentage is registered in Al Wusta Governorate.
According to NCSI figures, 36.6 per cent of the people with disabilities live in the wilayats of A’Seeb, Suhar, A’Suwaiq, Ibri, Saham, A’Rustaq and Salalah.
“Hearing disability was the highest in all age groups except for the category of below 10 years and the age group between 40and 44 years, as the physical disability constituted the largest number in the two categories”, the report says.
Out of 42,304 people with disabilities, who form 1.55 per cent of the total Omani population, 10,880 are children. While 66.9 per cent of them were diagnosed as congenital, 23.8 per cent developed complications during birth that led to disability.
A total 4.7 per cent of the disabilities resulted from illness, while two per cent were due to hereditary reasons.
For disabled children too, North Al Batinah tops with 1,154 girls and 1,493 boys followed by Muscat Governorate with 726 girls and 1,169 boys. There are 1,421 disabled children in South Al Batinah, 747 in South Sharqiyah, 801 in North Sharqiyah, and 720 in Ad Dhahirah.
While Dhofar has about 733 disabled children, Ad Dakhiliyah has another 1,471, and Buraimi 290. Musandam and Al Wusta have 114 and 41, respectively.
According to the data, 16.1 per cent in the age group of six years and above are currently enrolled in education, and that 52 per cent have previously enrolled in education. A whopping 84.9 per cent currently enrolled are in the age group between 6-9 years.
As for the total number of people with disabilities who have never enrolled in education, points out the report, “they were concentrated in the elderly category aged 60 and above. This group constituted 61.4 per cent of the total number”.
The report reveals that 97.5 per cent of those with disabilities who hold bachelor’s degree and above have hearing, physical, and visual disabilities, and 34.5 per cent have qualifications below the general diploma.
“Those with disabilities and have never enrolled in education were elderly people in the age above 60 years. This group constituted 61.4 per cent of the total number of people with disabilities”, adds the report.
