A Dubai exhibition dedicated to supporting people with disabilities has helped shine a light on how advanced technology can drive progress towards a more inclusive society.
The Sixth annual AccessAbilities Expo, which is being staged at Dubai World Trade Centre this week, has welcomed thousands of visitors and dozens of private companies and government departments showcasing innovations aimed at improving lives.
The three-day event, which concludes on Wednesday, features a wide variety of technology-enabled stands displaying new inventions and assistive hardware, from hearing loop headsets to adjustable-height tables and even newly designed inclusive bus stops by Dubai's Roads and Transport Authority.
Other stands demonstrate state-of-the-art wheelchairs, prosthetic limbs and other assistive medical equipment, as well as robotic therapy solutions, artificial intelligence-powered intervention platforms and edtech innovations.
There are also sections for inclusive cosmetics and music and art therapies, alongside an inclusive education summit and other talks running concurrently to the conference.
Dubai’s only sensory ambulance
One of the most eye-catching displays is of a sensory ambulance by Dubai Ambulance, featuring interior walls adorned with vibrating cushions and a colour-changing bubble machine at the back, while various interactive games are also incorporated.
Khawla Alawadhi, a spokesperson for Dubai Ambulance, told The National it is the authority's first ambulance for people with disabilities such as autism and Down syndrome.
The vehicle, which the health organisation has had in its fleet for almost two years, offers transfer services for people of determination, so they can be moved safely from their homes to the hospital or for a medical appointment. Family members can request the service through the app, website or by calling Dubai Ambulance.
“It’s to transfer to patient to the hospital safely and calmly,” added Ms Alawadhi. “The more people know about it and the more they use it, the more initiative we have to make more of them.
“I don’t wish people to have to call an ambulance, but I wish more people knew this exists.”
Travel and road safety for pupils with autism
One of the biggest stands is taken by Sustainable City’s Sanad Village, the region’s largest centre for autism and related disorders, which this week announced the implementation of its Travel and Road Safety Programme.
The 30,000-square-metre village, which opened in 2020, is known for its mock simulation areas, such as a mall, health clinic, police station and airport, and this latest move introduces a mini road network at its facility with plans to build a replica plane on site, expanding the facility’s simulation initiative that’s designed to prepare children and young adults with autism for real-life scenarios in a safe, controlled environment.
The latest additions allow the team to recreate high-stress scenarios, such as checking in at an airport or undergoing a security check, as well as the hazards of crossing a road and understanding traffic signals, helping to ease anxiety associated with travelling.
“This programme is a crucial step towards helping individuals achieve greater independence and confidence in their daily lives,” said Faris Saeed, founder and chairman of Sanad Village.
“It also represents a significant contribution to supporting national efforts to enhance inclusion and accessibility for all, in alignment with the UAE’s vision of integrating and empowering people of determination.”
Sanad Village also signed an agreement this week with Ataa Hamdan Volunteer Team, to provide volunteering opportunities to people who will then receive specialised training from the centre to educate and support their work with people of determination.
Inclusive offices, beaches and parks
At the stand for Dubai Electricity and Water Authority, employees showed off a prototype of a pair of reading glasses that turn written text into speech, designed to help anyone who is visually impaired or who has language processing concerns.
A range of other technology used by Dewa’s employees and customers is also on display, such as a reading pen that can translate text from one language to another and Bluetooth-enabled headsets that can be used by people with hearing impairments within the authority’s headquarters.
“We need to help people of determination, we need to make everything accessible for them and easier for them,” said project manager Hamad Al Zaabi, who works in the quality department.
Dubai Health Authority highlighted the need for early eye, oral and dental checks for children with disabilities, a service which DHA offers for free within special needs centres and private schools throughout Dubai.
The health authority is also running a series of talks at the event by parents and specialists, as well as focusing on the mental health of caregivers.
“When we screen for it earlier, we can treat it earlier,” said Sherina Lootah, a senior health educator at DHA.
“We want to enhance quality of life, we want to provide students with special needs quality medical care and promote preventive measures,” she added.
“And this is important, we want to encourage parents to conduct regular check-ups for their children.”
Elsewhere, Dubai Municipality is presenting its latest updates to the emirate's parks, beaches and other recreational facilities, including wheelchair-friendly benches and floating deck chairs that allow people of determination and the elderly to swim safely in the sea.
The municipality has also been working on new disability logos depicting a person in a wheelchair taking part in various activities, such as basketball or tennis.
Maryam Aalali, a marketing and communications specialist at Dubai Municipality, told The National this latest initiative aims to promote people’s abilities.
“We want to raise awareness of the fact that people of determination can do – they are able to do, not dis-able,” she said.
