Lived experiences of Arabic working mothers raising children with disabilities: navigating rehabilitation and support services

This article explores the experiences of working mothers raising children with disabilities. The study was conducted in the United Arab Emirates, which has a raft of policies empowering and facilitating the development of children with disabilities and their families. Drawing on the social model of disability, this article presents findings from qualitative data collected from both national and expatriate working mothers. It aims to provide insights into their work-caregiving balance and the development of their children with disabilities. Furthermore, this article identifies common reactions, coping strategies and expressed needs among both national and expatriate mothers. However, it highlights significant differences between the two groups in terms of access to rehabilitation and support services for children with disabilities. This research contributes to existing literature on caregiving experiences and offers recommendations for tailoring support services to meet the needs of working mothers raising children with disabilities in the United Arab Emirates. This article explores the caregiving experiences of 24 nationals and expatriates raising children with disabilities in the United Arab Emirates.The United Arab Emirates government is encouraging greater participation in the workforce, particularly among women, which could have implications for those raising children with disabilities.The findings reveal shared challenges/reactions to children's diagnoses; however, differences were noted in the accessibility of rehabilitation and support services for children of nationals and expatriates.The insufficient or lack of available services sheds light on the experiences of mothers raising children with disabilities.The study concludes with a recommendation for employers to make provisions specifically for expatriate mothers raising children with disabilities in the United Arab Emirates.