Hassan Ali Bin Ali Launches Global Disability Initiative
Author: Shafallah Center for Children with Special Needs
Published: 2012/09/07 - Updated: 2025/12/06
Publication Type: Informative
Category Topic: 2012 London - Related Publications
Page Content: Synopsis - Introduction - Main - Insights, Updates
Synopsis: This information details how a prominent disability rights advocate introduced a major global initiative at the 2012 London Paralympics. The work centers on the "One Billion Strong" organization, named after the World Health Organization's estimate of people with disabilities worldwide, and focuses on disability awareness, education, and implementing the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. The account demonstrates practical efforts in disability advocacy - including an airport accessibility study designed to document real-world barriers and develop educational resources - alongside the institutions working to provide comprehensive services for individuals with disabilities. For people with disabilities and those in caregiving roles, this documentation shows how advocacy at the international level translates into specific programs and research aimed at improving accessibility and quality of care - Disabled World (DW).
Introduction
Qatari Disability Rights Leader Hassan Ali Bin Ali Introduces "One Billion Strong" to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, Prince William and Catherine ("Kate") Duchess of Cambridge; Awards Medals to Paralympic Champions.
Main Content
At the 2012 Paralympic Games in London, Mr. Hassan Ali Bin Ali, Chairman of Qatar's state-of-the-art Shafallah Center for Children with Special Needs and a member of the Honorary Board of the International Paralympic Committee (IPC), unveiled a new global NGO aimed at implemented the rights of persons with disabilities to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, Prince William, Duke of Cambridge and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, during an opening reception hosted by British Prime Minister David Cameron.
Mr. Ali Bin Ali also had the honor of presenting medals to numerous athletes during the games.
He presented medals for the men's Cycling Individual event to:
- Mark Lee Colbourne (Gold, Great Britain)
- Zhang Yu Li (Silver, China)
- and Rodrigo Fernando Lopez (Bronze, Argentina)
For the women's Swimming 100m Butterfly, he awarded medals to":
- Sophie Pascoe (Gold, New Zealand)
- Oliwia Jablonska (Silver, Poland)
- and Elodie Lorandi (Bronze, France)
As a member of the IPC Honorary Board, Mr. Ali Bin Ali serves as an ambassador for the global Paralympic Movement and helps spread the Paralympic values of courage, determination, inspiration and equality.
At a private reception in the President's Lounge at Olympic Stadium, Mr. Ali Bin Ali discussed his new organization, "One Billion Strong" (OBS), with HRH Prince William and Kate Middleton, Duchess of Cambridge.
Mr. Ali Bin Ali said he was honored to meet with the Royal Family and was "thrilled that they showed deep interest in Qatar's visionary work to improve the lives of persons with disabilities, both at home and worldwide."
OBS is a global initiative dedicated to disability awareness, rights and education, and serves to promote the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. The organization's name is based on the World Health Organization's 2011 report that estimates that there are now over one billion persons with disabilities in the world.
OBS has launched several innovation projects recently, including an airport accessibility study at the Paralympic Games that involves filming athletes as they arrive and depart from airports in their home countries and at London Heathrow airport in order to assess their airport transportation experience. The footage will be used to develop an educational video that will help raise awareness and disseminate information about best practices.
Shafallah Center for Children with Special Needs
The Shafallah Center for Children with Special Needs was established at the behest of Her Highness Sheikha Mozah Bint Nasser Bin Abdullah AL-Missned to provide comprehensive services and care to individuals with developmental learning challenges, their families, and the community. Led by prominent Qatari business figure, Mr. Hassan Ali Bin Ali, the Center is the first facility of its kind in the Arab and Muslim world, offering the latest technologies, including an on-site Genetic Research Center, cutting-edge therapies and some of the world's finest faculty and counselors. The Center is a non-profit, private institution, serving as a model for the provision of special education, therapeutic, and health care support services for children with disabilities from birth to adulthood.
Insights, Analysis, and Developments
Editorial Note: The 2012 Paralympics marked more than an athletic achievement; it served as a platform for advancing disability rights on a global stage. Hassan Ali Bin Ali's presentation of "One Billion Strong" to world leaders demonstrated that disability advocacy requires visibility at the highest levels of government and international organizations. By grounding the initiative in concrete data - naming it after the billion-person estimate - and coupling it with practical research projects like the airport accessibility study, the effort avoided empty gestures in favor of measurable work. This model of combining grassroots service provision with international advocacy remains relevant today, particularly as organizations continue developing frameworks to bridge the gap between policy commitments and lived experience for people navigating everyday systems designed without their input - Disabled World (DW).Attribution/Source(s): This quality-reviewed publication was selected for publishing by the editors of Disabled World (DW) due to its relevance to the disability community. Originally authored by Shafallah Center for Children with Special Needs and published on 2012/09/07, this content may have been edited for style, clarity, or brevity.