Fatma Al Jassim is the first Emirati to become internationally certified in the field of Professional Accessibility, the first Emirati youth delegate at the United Nations Conference of States Parties to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the Global Disability Summit, the first Emirati ADA Administrator.
Al Jassim is a UAE pioneer for being the founder of the first series of workshops that educate all layers of the community on the Art of Dealing with People of Determination voluntarily.
Fatma served as the youngest advisory council member for the National Strategy for empowering people of determination, as an advisory board member in the My Community 2020 initiative by the Government of Dubai, and as Dubai Youth Council Member (2nd Cohort). She has lobbied on the New Kuwait 2035 Policy and has been awarded as the most influential leader with a disability in the region.
Al Jassim is the founder of the first holistically developed program in the field of disability empowerment called “NYU AD People of Determination Support Program” and “People of Determination Educational Support Training Program.”
Al Jassim is currently working voluntarily as a Disability Empowerment Consultant offering to governments, the private sector, and individuals across the region and on an international scale to help advance the inclusion agenda. Fatma has an avid interest in policymaking, accessibility, assistive technologies, training, and advocacy. She is currently a graduate student.
This week, we had the opportunity to interview Fatima Al-Jassem as we spoke about her experiences working in the disability sector and inspiring change in her community.
Q. What role did your childhood play in influencing the work you do today?
Fatma Al-Jassim: To be honest, my childhood played an important role. Because I always knew that to make the changes that I want to make, I need a voice. And to do that, I was an advocate from a very young age. Starting with voicing myself, then others, and then it grew more and more. I knew that to see the world become better, I needed to voice myself. From a very young age, I realized the importance of being vocal because if you’re not communicating your needs, if you’re not communicating your perspective, how can you expect other people to understand you if you’re not doing your part?
Q. You have a lot of experience in working in the disability field. Can you tell us what inspired your passion to work specifically in this field? Was there a reason why you first started working in this field or did you just go with the flow of life?
Fatma Al-Jassim: I went into this field because I, myself, am a person with a disability. I am a wheelchair user and I have Cerebral Palsy. I started working to advocate for myself and the process grew. The reason why I began working in the disability field specifically, is because I always knew the importance of sharing my experience, my story, and hopefully, inspiring others to do the same and be involved in the same work.
In 2014, I was a high school student, in Grade 11. From that point, I realized that people were a little bit hesitant to deal with individuals with disabilities. If they approached me personally, they would be afraid and also hesitant of conducting themselves, of saying the wrong things or doing the wrong things, and I realized that we can change that. And the idea of a disability etiquette workshop called on the art of people with disabilities. I did my research on the disability etiquette field.
I interviewed people. I asked them one important question that circulated the idea of “what do you want to say to other people who are non-disabled, when it comes to dealing with you personally?” And with that point onwards, with time, it grew to specialized training, from teachers to educators, to accessibility training, to customized training related to what the client or the person needs. And all of this work includes the programs I’ve established in the UAE and other programs as well that are voluntary.
About a year ago, I started formal consultations and policy-making spirit and disability research, and training. So all of my work so far has been voluntary. And it’s my passion, it’s my calling. I realized early on that there is a gap and I wanted to bridge that gap for individuals with disabilities, especially in the middle east region.
Q. We know that you were the first Emirati youth delegate at the United Nations Conference of States Parties to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the Global Disability Summit and you have also lobbied the New Kuwait 2035 Policy and were also awarded as the most influential leader with a disability in the region. Amongst these amazing accomplishments and others as well, what is the accomplishment you’re most proud of?
Fatma Al-Jassim: An accomplishment that I am most proud of? It is very difficult to pick, to be honest! I don’t know how to pick because I am proud of all of those accomplishments! Because to see such a simple and small idea grow with me throughout the years, from 2014 to this, is amazing. I am a believer in the butterfly effect. So for me, every moment, every second, even if it is a challenge for me personally, as some people will call it “hardships,” but I believe that I don’t want my experiences, whether they are good or bad, to go to waste.
For me to pick an accomplishment would be very hard because my journey has been built brick by brick by people whom I’ve met along the way. I am proud of everything I stand for and the thing I am most proud of is the support system I have with me, including my family and friends. And having the honor to serve on advisory in the country and beyond. That belief has been the key for me to continue. I can’t choose an accomplishment and say it is my favorite, or that I prefer this over this. But I do believe in the journey as a whole.
Looking back at what I started with as a simple idea with giving a lecture of a workshop, voluntary growing to what I have today is phenomenal. I really hope to continue being an asset to the region and beyond. I really hope to make a difference in people with disabilities, their lives, and the families beyond. Sharing my story today with you, I hope would inspire a lot of people to not underestimate what small ideas can grow and be fostered into along the way. The importance is being true to yourself and not saying “no” to new opportunities because if I’d said no to opportunities, I wouldn’t be the person I am today definitely.
Q. Is there someone you look up to? Someone who inspires you and motivates you? If yes, then who is it?
Fatma Al-Jassim: This question is tricky because many people inspire me and they belong to different sectors. For example, in the disability sector, I admire the work of word enabled and dr. victor peed and the team behind word enabled. It’s phenomenal and it’s at a global pace and they’re really changing the lives of everyone in the disability sphere. And I aspire to become like them.
Other instances such as in my personal life, my number one inspiration is my mother because she has shaped who I am today and she made me believe in the importance of giving back to the community. She instilled that in me and she has always been my number one supporter. She has been going through this journey and I can’t really thank her enough. Words cannot describe how lucky I am to have such a wonderful family and wonderful support from them from day one. My siblings, my mother, my husband, and my family as a whole, are such a blessing to me. And they pushed me to continue giving back to the community as a whole, in the UAE and beyond.
In the Arab region, I have been fortunate enough to work with the training gate organization in Kuwait. Through them. I was lucky and honored to participate in lobbying for the 2035 new Kuwait policy. However, the team behind the Training gate has been a blessing for me. They inspire me because they’re true change-makers in society. It is a great example of how civil society comes together as one to advocate for a better world for everyone.
Q. What advice would you like to give to individuals looking to attain the same career as you?
Fatma Al-Jassim: The beauty and the difficulty of having chosen this career path in the Arab region is a unique position. Because you’re paving the way for others. There are not many established careers in the disability sector in the Arab region. You’re paving your own way and that’s unique. But it takes a lot of resilience. And it takes being courageous and taking a step back, re-evaluating the path-way you’re taking, or the choices you’re making every once in a while. It is not an easy path-way. But it is definitely rewarding if you’re passionate about it. However, it is not going to be easy. It will be a bumpy road. The important thing is to be resilient.
Q. If you could meet your past self right now, your younger self, what would you tell her?
Fatma Al-Jassim: If I could meet my younger self, I would tell her to not get discouraged. Or do not underestimate her abilities. Even though the path or the future is unclear, that does not mean it won’t be rewarding. The spontaneous things that happen along the way are the most rewarding in the journey. I would tell her to keep believing in herself, and to never lose that essence of herself. I guess, these are all the things I would tell her.