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* * *Services provided to Disabled Pilgrims* MY dear Muslim brothers and sisters, peace be upon you. In this article, I would like to shed light on some of the services provided by the government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to enable disabled pilgrims to perform the rituals of Haj or Umrah peacefully, based on the directives given by King Abdullah, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, and Crown Prince Sultan Bin Abdul Aziz. These services include the following: *1)* Translating Friday and Eid Sermons into sign language; a site on the 2nd floor has been assigned for this in the Sacred Mosque and over the Quba Gate in the Prophet's Mosque. *2)* Certain gates in the Sacred Mosque have been assigned for wheelchair-bound pilgrims including King Abdul Aziz Gate, Al-Safa Gate, Hunain Gate, Al-Marwah Gate, Othman Gate, Al-Fath Gate, Al-Madinah Gate, Al-Nadwa Bridge, Al-Madinah Bridge, Al-Umrah Gate, Gate No. 64, King Fahd Gate, Gate No 94, Al-Raguba Bridge, the New Gate of Ajyad. In the Prophet's Mosque, similar gates have been assigned for the same purpose including King Abdul Aziz Gate, King Saud Gate, King Fahd Gate, Al-Hijra Gate, Quba Gate and Bilal Gate. *3)* Also a lot of free wheelchairs, almost 10,000, have been provided in addition to 500 to be hired. Other self-help wheelchairs are provided to pilgrims who would like to help themselves. This will be implemented this year and if this idea succeeds, it will be extensively used in future. A specialized administration in the Prophet's Mosque has been set up to supervise the organization and distribution of these wheelchairs. As for the hired wheelchairs, licenses are given to those who hire them and their assistants. This is done under the supervision of 120 employees working in the Wheel Chairs Administration round-the-clock to guarantee the quality of the service offered to Muslims who perform Umrah or Haj or any visitor to this sacred place. *4)* A certain track has been assigned for the wheelchairs on the first floor of the Haram overlooking Tawaf track. *5)* A number of copies of the Holy Qur'an in Braille have been put at different places in Al-Haram to help the blind. *6)* Nine escalators and a number of emergency gates are operational in the Sacred Mosque in case of an emergency. Six escalators are also provided in the Prophet's Mosque, in addition to a number of lifts. *7)* A large number of lavatories have been provided in the yards surrounding the Two Holy Mosques; some of them have been designed to meet the needs of the people with special needs. This news was published on 10-Dec-07 in Saudi News paper * Permission is granted to circulate among private individuals and groups, to post on Internet sites and to publish in full text and subject title in not-for-profit publications. * **
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