Oman: Social protection laws to be published in Braille

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Muscat: The Social Protection Fund (SPF) announced on Monday new details about eligibility criteria and regulations for people with disabilities benefits, aimed at supporting people with disabilities in Oman.

The announcement came during a media briefing where SPF revealed that it will publish a guidebook in Braille, covering all laws related to social protection, to enhance accessibility for the visually impaired.

SPF outlined that the monthly disability benefit, set at RO130, may be suspended in cases where beneficiaries fail to meet eligibility standards following medical or performance re-evaluations.

Disbursements will also be paused if a beneficiary declines to participate in these evaluations.

Benefits will resume once the reasons for suspension are resolved, with retroactive payments of up to three months from the application date.

Eligibility for thid benefits requires that applicants must be Omani citizens, reside within the Sultanate of Oman, and fall under specific categories as defined in the executive regulations of the Social Protection Law.

This initiative is part of SPF’s ongoing commitment to strengthening social support for people with disabilities in Oman.

Under the new regulations, individuals with a permanent disability who hold a disability card issued by the Ministry of Social Development may qualify for the benefit.

The eligible conditions include:

Autism Spectrum Disorder

Down Syndrome

Mental Disability with an IQ score of below 70, as determined by a standardized IQ test

Visual Disability with vision at 2/60 or less in both eyes, even with corrective aids

Hearing Disability with a hearing threshold of 61 dB or higher in both ears, despite corrective aids

Severe Physical Disability, as assessed by functional performance

Any other disability as determined by the Council in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and Ministry of Social Development