Policewomen among 38 disabled recruits at Fujairah force

Ayesha Al Hamoudi has short stature disorder and is just 87cm tall but that hasn't stopped her from living a full life.

Sondieh Al Abdouli, a policewoman in Fujairah, is one of 38 officers with disabilities in the emirate. Jeffrey E Biteng / The Nationa

FUJAIRAH // Ayesha Al Hamoudi is no ordinary policewoman. She has had to fight adversity at every turn to get a job and work normally like everyone else.

Ms Al Hamoudi, 34, has short-stature disorder and works at Al Bidiyah police station in Fujairah as a secretary.

She is one of 38 people with disabilities employed by Fujairah Police in the past nine years, across all aspects of policing.

Most of them, including Ms Al Hamoudi, have graduated from Al Ain Rehabilitation and Care Centre. She started working at the police station in 2006 after graduation.

“I faced many challenges during my school days,” she says. “I recall that I had difficulty riding the bus cause of my short height. The buses were not designed to accommodate students with a disability.”

At just 87 centimetres tall, Ms Al Hamoudi applied to Guinness World Records to be registered as the shortest policewoman in the world, although she is yet to hear back.

“I wanted to be unique, so I applied with the help of the centre to Guinness World Records,” she says. “I believe that my disorder is something special and people should understand that we are human beings and deserve to have same rights and privileges.”

Al Ain Rehabilitation and Care Centre prides itself on providing the skills needed for the real world. Most of the police recruits spent six months at the vocational education and training department.

The recruits have a range of disabilities, including deafness and blindness, but all are passionate about making a contribution to society and proving they have something to offer.

Sondieh Al Abdouli, 35, also has short stature disorder and feels lucky to have been able to study and work at the traffic and licensing department in Al Hayl.

“I thank God each day for what I have accomplished,” Ms Al Abdouli says. “Many people with disabilities couldn’t have many chances in life, but with the help of my family and the authorities I became a person who can make a difference and contribute.

“I have worked in data entry at the traffic and licensing department since 2011, and before that I was working at Fujairah Police headquarters.”

Ms Al Abdouli, who is 90cm tall, also studied at Al Ain Rehabilitation and Care Centre but as much as she is thankful for being able to work, she has come across bureaucratic problems.

She says she applied to the Ministry of Social Affairs to obtain a disabled person’s identification card but was refused because she is employed.

“I need to have the ID card to obtain a driving licence for the disabled,” Ms Abdouli says. “I can’t rely on my father or the driver each time I want to go to work or anywhere else.”

Fujairah Police launched an initiative last month called “With Willpower we Achieve the Impossible”, to honour its 38 employees with disabilities and highlight their conditions.