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Smart Gates for individuals with impairments, wise apps to facilitate ease of communication, call centre to manage grievances in sign language, mobile therapy device to attend to those with impairment, robotic-assisted device for clients with physical and neurological impairment, video chat using sign language and swimming chair for individuals with impairment were among a few of the initiatives showcased by the Government Departments at AccessAbilities Expo 2016.

The Expo, being arranged under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President of Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, Chairman of Dubai Airports, Chairman and Chief Executive of Emirates Airline and Group, has a strong assistance from government bodies consisting of Dubai Health Authority (DHA), Dubai Municipality, Road and Transport Authority (RTA), Department of Economic Development (DED) in Dubai, Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA), General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA) in Dubai, Community Development Authority (CDA) and Dubai Customs.
AccessAbilities Expo is arranged by Reed Exhibitions Middle East and Nadd AlShiba Public Relations and Event Management.

Daniyal Qureshi, Group Exhibition Director, Reed Exhibitions, Middle East, said: "Strong support from the government departments across the UAE to the AccessAbilities Expo shows their eagerness to carry out brand-new innovation to enhance lives of people with impairments. It is likewise an opportunity for people to learn more about these services and take advantage of these.".

The Dubai Health Authority (DHA) showed new products and innovations for a lot of people with impairments.

The services consist of medical rehab, nursing, physiotherapy, occupational treatment, speech and language treatment, hydrotherapy, orthotics, social care, psychological care, scientific nutrition, drug store, lab and emergency medication for patients of the centre.

Dr Suad Trebinjac, Director of the Dubai Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation Centre, stated the centre supplies multi-disciplinary care and has various services possible for individuals with impairments at the centre.

Trebinjac stated that the centre has just recently obtained an innovative robotic-assisted gadget for patients with physical and neurological limitations.
"The system is the world's most innovative robotic-assisted device in gait rehabilitation. It will improve the progress of gait training for our patients of all ages with physical and neurological limitations. More than 75 patients at the centre will immediately benefit from the intro of this device, of these several are children.".

The robotic-assisted device enables clients to regain their capability to stroll in less time when compared with standard therapy strategies and is the only gadget that provides the distinct function of reasonably imitating climbing stairs and can be operated by one therapist just.

The gadget has an increased reality function so that clients can pick forest or beach tracks while performing their physiotherapy sessions. He stated the introduction of this device is aimed at assisting patients recuperate mobility and their independency in day-to-day living.

Dubai Municipality's 'swimming wheelchair' for the elderly and a lot of people with disabilities, launched previously as a community effort, was a huge draw.
The civic body will make brochures in Braille language to support clients with visual impairment. The other services consist of audio tapes, sound alarm system and arrangement of 2 trained support staff members to assist its consumers with disabilities. Electronic doors suitable with the needs of individuals with impairments at the entrance of the centres and unique counters with low height will be supplied in addition to the wheelchair service.

A Dubai Municipality worker stated two skilled staff will be deployed at the town service centres to aid and support clients with impairments.

For those with hearing impairment, the municipality will offer 2 staff members trained in sign language. iPads will be provided to show the hearing-impaired consumers, treatments associated with service applications and important files needed for that. An alarm system consisting of red lights to inform the customer in case of any untoward occurring will also be readily available in civic body centres.

Roadway and Transport Authority (RTA) showed communication and info tools for people with disability including tactile directing paths to assist consumers with visual disability to reach the city, a clever system that assist people with impairment in reserving a taxi through touch and voice screens, with choice to change screen colours to match those of individuals with visual impairment. RTA gives special attention to individuals having impairments and all means of mass transportation from the city, buses to water/marine transport and taxis have actually been developed to satisfy the needs of the handicapped.
Department of Economic Development (DED) showed unique counters for ease of access and is planning to present training and consultancy services to open new business for a lot of people with disabilities.

DED's frontline staff is well geared up to deal with persons with disabilities, and have actually been trained in sign-language and qualified staff helps people having impairments at all customer service.

Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) showcased Ash'ir (Arabic for 'to signal'), service that allows individuals to interact in sign language straight to DEWA's call centre staff through a live video chat. The service is readily available on Dewa's wise app on iOS and Android, which provides over 150 services and features round the clock.

Ahmed Al Harthi, from Dewa Customer Service Center, said Dewa, in partnership with the Community Development Authority (CDA) in Dubai, recently graduated the very first group of its customer support staff on using sign language to prepare them for the Ash'ir service to help a lot of people with hearing and speech disabilities. Another group is presently going through training on live video talking using sign language.

Dewa has also launched the 'Absher Initiative' that includes a devoted team of professionals and certified personnel in human resources, in addition to a hotline, to offer guidance to staff members with special requirements, and aid them with their documentation.

GDRFA-Dubai showcased the whole plan of new wise services aimed at helping passengers and consumers with impairments. GDRFA likewise offered complimentary Smart Gate registration at the Expo.

Captain Salem Bin Ali, Manager of Amer Customer Care Section, GDRFA in Dubai said special devoted counters are installed in at all terminals of Dubai Airports, consisting of Al Maktoum Airport, to assist people with disabilities. The department has 19 employees with disabilities.

The GDRFA-D has actually launched Al Manar Forum to highlight the capabilities of people with visual disability and methods to deal with them through set guidelines. The objectives of the Forum include informing the UAE neighborhood to handle a lot of people with visual impairment in properly, highlighting the capabilities and accomplishments of the individuals with visual disability.

Bin Ali said the department has established unique counters and made devoted arrangements at the entrances, clever gates and e-gates for the benefit of travelers with impairments.

"We also installed facilities for easy communication.".
Neighborhood Development Authority (CDA) revealed its Smart App Family consisting of Sanad mobile therapy Unit, Sanad Recreational Vehicle App and Sanad Relay Centre and a lot more at the Expo.

The mobile treatment device is developed and equipped to supply early detection and early intervention therapy services to kids. To make the access to the mobile devices much easier and smarter, the CDA has launched CDA Sanad RV App, a devoted complimentary app that can be downloaded from Apple store or Google Play. The app allows the users to discover the activities and news of the mobile systems and book consultations.

Sanad Relay Centre and app services help with interaction between the CDA and people with hearing impairment through video calls by CDA's sign language experts.

Checking out for All, is another idea at CDA stand, a corner promoting the importance of providing understanding access, to a lot of people with impairments. Braille and audio library is readily available to highlight the have to give individuals with vision problems access to understanding.
Khaled Al Kamda, Director General, CDA, said that it is very important to have a common platform that collects all the stakeholders worried about impairment services.

CDA likewise provided Sanad Card, introduced last year, to have a total record of people with impairments in Dubai and learn more about their needs. When finished, Sanad Card record will be a base to any new services or programs developed for people with impairments.

Shaikha Dr. Alya Al Qasmi, Deputy CEO, Development and Social Care Sector in CDA, stated that having precise details about the requirements of individuals with impairments in Dubai will permit the development of the appropriate services that satisfy these needs. "We also have to have the highest level of coordination between the stakeholders, we expect that AccessAbilites Expo will offer us a chance for further cooperation and partnerships," she said.
Dubai Customs provides numerous services for the disabled, beginning with its head office which is disability friendly, with ease of accessibility to the building, together with dedicated parking slots near the main entrance. The Dubai Customs also has employees with impairments in various departments.

A working group of Dubai Customs with various departments is associated with field sees to other entities to view the best international practices in the field of disability services. The Dubai Customs excuses goods and products utilized by people with impairments from custom-mades tasks in accordance with the Law. As a mark of assistance to individuals with disabilities, the department has actually demarcated dedicated parking lots for persons with impairments at 26 of its operations workplaces in Dubai.

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