Shobhika Kalra, of Wings of Angelz, has worked with the RTA to get more access ramps installed across Dubai. Satish Kumar / The National
Shobhika Kalra, of Wings of Angelz, has worked with the RTA to get more access ramps installed across Dubai. Satish Kumar / The National
Shobhika Kalra, of Wings of Angelz, has worked with the RTA to get more access ramps installed across Dubai. Satish Kumar / The National
Shobhika Kalra, of Wings of Angelz, has worked with the RTA to get more access ramps installed across Dubai. Satish Kumar / The National

Disability campaigners aim for improved toilet facilities across Dubai


Nick Webster
  • English
  • Arabic

Disability campaigners have backed plans to improve access to private health centres in Dubai within six months.

While most hospitals have adequate provisions for disabled patients when it comes to entry ramps, accessing bathrooms can be a problem, according to Shobhika Kalra, of public campaign group Wings of Angelz.

She founded the group with her sister in 2014 and has worked closely with Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority to encourage installation of access ramps in metro stations and other key buildings in the emirate.

“Most hospitals have ramps, so are pretty adequate, but using the toilets is a big issue in some buildings,” she said.

“There are disabled washrooms all over but the flooring in all the washrooms are with regular tiles. Being wheelchair-bound over a period of time makes you lose grip on the floor.

“So even with the handles in the disabled washrooms, disabled people cannot access the washrooms easily unless the flooring is a little rough so they don’t slide.

“The flooring is definitely not a good-looking option but it is required.”

While figures for attendance at Dubai Health Authority by disabled patients are not available, more than 2.1 million outpatient clinic visits were made last year.

Of that number, 973,787 patients visited Latifa Hospital, Dubai Hospital, Rashid Hospital and Hatta Hospital. A further 1,045,000 visited the DHA’s 15 primary health care centres, 168,000 used specialist centres and 1,898,194 used DHA medical fitness centres.

According to the World Health Organisation, about one in 100 people live with a disability so as many as 28,000 of Dubai’s 2.8 million population could be disabled.

The notice to improve disabled facilities at all private healthcare facilities is the latest government move to improve access across the city ahead of Expo 2020 under the Dubai Disability Strategy 2020.

It was announced last week that all private healthcare facilities in Dubai have been given six months to ensure they are disabled-friendly.

Five key areas are being improved - early developmental screening; diagnosis and early interventions; health benefits and funding; inclusive health policy for the disabled; and rehabilitation and mental health services.

Although disabled access is improving across the emirate, Ms Kalra said more can be done.

One Wings of Angelz success story is the group’s work with Aster Clinics to make it easier for disabled patients to visit.

“Aster health clinics were not wheelchair accessible but now that has improved with our requests,” she added.

“We require efforts like these when someone provides them with constructive feedback, and they make a positive change.

“We would all like to see empathy, instead of sympathy. We ask that whenever someone interacts with a person with a disability, they should imagine how it would be if you were in their shoes and then deal with that situation accordingly.”

Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
  • Priority access to new homes from participating developers
  • Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
  • Flexible payment plans from developers
  • Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
  • DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
The Bio

Hometown: Bogota, Colombia
Favourite place to relax in UAE: the desert around Al Mleiha in Sharjah or the eastern mangroves in Abu Dhabi
The one book everyone should read: 100 Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. It will make your mind fly
Favourite documentary: Chasing Coral by Jeff Orlowski. It's a good reality check about one of the most valued ecosystems for humanity

The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Power: 510hp at 9,000rpm
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
Price: From Dh801,800
Real estate tokenisation project

Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.

The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.

Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.

F1 The Movie

Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem

Director: Joseph Kosinski

Rating: 4/5

The specs
Engine: 77.4kW all-wheel-drive dual motor
Power: 320bhp
Torque: 605Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh219,000
On sale: Now
The specs

Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbo

Power: 240hp at 5,500rpm

Torque: 390Nm at 3,000rpm

Transmission: eight-speed auto

Price: from Dh122,745

On sale: now

The specs
  • Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
  • Power: 640hp
  • Torque: 760nm
  • On sale: 2026
  • Price: Not announced yet
How to protect yourself when air quality drops

Install an air filter in your home.

Close your windows and turn on the AC.

Shower or bath after being outside.

Wear a face mask.

Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.

If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.

THE SPECS

Engine: 3.5-litre V6
Transmission: six-speed manual
Power: 325bhp
Torque: 370Nm
Speed: 0-100km/h 3.9 seconds
Price: Dh230,000
On sale: now

Fixtures
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EWednesday%2C%20April%203%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EArsenal%20v%20Luton%20Town%2C%2010.30pm%20(UAE)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EManchester%20City%20v%20Aston%20Villa%2C%2011.15pm%20(UAE)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EThursday%2C%20April%204%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ELiverpool%20v%20Sheffield%20United%2C%2010.30pm%20(UAE)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Company%20profile
%3Cp%3EName%3A%20Tabby%3Cbr%3EFounded%3A%20August%202019%3B%20platform%20went%20live%20in%20February%202020%3Cbr%3EFounder%2FCEO%3A%20Hosam%20Arab%2C%20co-founder%3A%20Daniil%20Barkalov%3Cbr%3EBased%3A%20Dubai%2C%20UAE%3Cbr%3ESector%3A%20Payments%3Cbr%3ESize%3A%2040-50%20employees%3Cbr%3EStage%3A%20Series%20A%3Cbr%3EInvestors%3A%20Arbor%20Ventures%2C%20Mubadala%20Capital%2C%20Wamda%20Capital%2C%20STV%2C%20Raed%20Ventures%2C%20Global%20Founders%20Capital%2C%20JIMCO%2C%20Global%20Ventures%2C%20Venture%20Souq%2C%20Outliers%20VC%2C%20MSA%20Capital%2C%20HOF%20and%20AB%20Accelerator.%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A

Dr Amal Khalid Alias revealed a recent case of a woman with daughters, who specifically wanted a boy.

A semen analysis of the father showed abnormal sperm so the couple required IVF.

Out of 21 eggs collected, six were unused leaving 15 suitable for IVF.

A specific procedure was used, called intracytoplasmic sperm injection where a single sperm cell is inserted into the egg.

On day three of the process, 14 embryos were biopsied for gender selection.

The next day, a pre-implantation genetic report revealed four normal male embryos, three female and seven abnormal samples.

Day five of the treatment saw two male embryos transferred to the patient.

The woman recorded a positive pregnancy test two weeks later.