Wheelchair accessibility of mosques in Riyadh.

BACKGROUND: Engagement in religious and spiritual activities and expression are important to many people. Praying in a mosque is a major component of basic worship for Muslims. Riyadh has a population of more than six million people and more than 17 thousand mosques. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to explore wheelchair accessibility of mosques in Riyadh from the perspective of wheelchair users and their caregivers. METHODS: A survey was conducted to explore the opinions of wheelchair users and their caregivers regarding wheelchair accessibility of frequently used mosques. RESULTS: Forty-eight wheelchair users and 12 caregivers participated in the study. The main reason for being confined to a wheelchair was a motor vehicle accident (77%). The majority of the participants (84%) indicated that they needed assistance to propel their wheelchairs. Overall, 86% of wheelchair users and 84% of caregivers expressed dissatisfaction with the mosques' accessibility for wheelchair users. CONCLUSION: Mosques were found not to be accessible for wheelchair users. The current situation forces wheelchair users to pray in isolation in their houses, preventing them from participating in an important part of their faith. Though acts mandating the accessibility of public places for wheelchair users have been promulgated in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), the acts are not implemented in ways which can contribute to a meaningful, tolerable and independent life for wheelchair users.

Source apportionment of fine particles in Kuwait City.

This study investigated major sources of PM2.5 in the atmosphere of Kuwait based on a sampling program conducted between February 2004 and October 2005. Three source identification techniques were used in this study: (1) a positive matrix factorization model; (2) backward trajectory profiles; and (3) concentration rose plots. Five major sources of PM2.5 were estimated. These were sand dust (sand storms), oil combustion (power plants), petrochemical industry (fertilizer, nylon or catalyst regeneration facilities), traffic (vehicle emissions and road dust) and transported emissions (emissions from outside Kuwait, such as those from automobiles, road dust or smelters). The estimated contributions to PM2.5 of these sources were: 54% from sand dust, 18% from oil combustion, 12% from petrochemical industry, 11% from traffic and 5% from anthropogenic sources transported from outside the country. Oil combustion, petrochemical industry and traffic were found to emanate from local sources, whereas sand dust and some emissions from traffic, and possibly smelters, appeared to originate from sources outside of Kuwait (transported). The PM2.5 levels in Kuwait during our previous sampling study averaged 53µg/m(3). More than half of the measured PM2.5 appears to have been due to crustal material, much originating outside of the country. However, the relatively high levels of PM2.5 contributed by anthropogenic local sources, such as oil combustion, petrochemical industry emissions, and traffic indicated that there may be great opportunities for Kuwait to improve public health. The application of cost-effective emission controls and development of forward looking environmental health policies have the potential to significantly reduce emissions, population exposures to PM2.5 and the burden of mortality and morbidity from air pollution.