Dubai Expo 2020 staff 'live with disabilities' for a day

Dubai - Representatives said the experiment aimed to develop a better understanding of accessibility.

"On the day I used crutches, I changed my lunch routine because it would be difficult to carry my food tray. Instead of a hot meal on a plate, I ordered a sandwich and chips so I could take my meal to the table without help," said Steven Smith, manager of guest services at Expo 2020 Dubai, one among a group of employees who decided to 'live with a disability' for a day to gain better understanding on inclusivity ahead of the mega event.
The week-long Expo 2020 Dubai's Inclusive Experience saw 79 employees living with a variety of disabilities using accessibility devices, including wheelchairs and crutches, to ensure an accessible Expo 2020 to wide international audiences.
The representatives said the experiment aimed to develop a better understanding of accessibility to enable Expo 2020 team provide the right environment and services that cater to everyone's needs.
Maitha Ahmad Al Yousuf, assistant manager of guest services in event operations at the Expo 2020 Dubai, said as the mega event prepares to attract 25 million visitors in six months, the team needed to be ready to welcome everyone regardless of their abilities.
"What better way to encourage discussion in this area than to have people experience challenges first-hand?" Al Yousuf said.
The work is in line with Dubai's plan to make public buildings and city facilities friendly for people with disabilities by 2020.
Through 89 different experiences ranging from one to 10 hours, employees used wheelchairs and crutches to mimic permanent and temporary physical impairments. Others used earplugs to replicate hearing impairment, glasses to simulate different types of visual impairment, and special gloves designed to demonstrate the effects of arthritis in the wrists.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), around 15 per cent of the global population has some form of disability. Al Yousuf noted that the aim was to instil a sense of responsibility to ensure teams took accessibility into consideration on the journey to 2020 and beyond when providing services to global visitors that are expected to make up 70 per cent of people at Expo 2020.
The experiment, she said, prompted a conversation around accessibility, encouraging employees to open up about family members and friends with various disabilities.
"The exercise proved to be a real eye-opener because it allowed those who took part to feel what others feel on a daily basis," she added. "Not to mention the importance of considering people's abilities, rather than disabilities."
Al Yousuf said while Expo 2020 is currently undergoing a gap analysis, the experiment helped identify other accessibility-related opportunities across the site.
Eye-opening experience
Fatma Ibrahim, assistant manager at Expo Live, Expo 2020 Dubai spent five hours of her workday wearing vision-impairing shades during the experience.
"Activities I used to take for granted were no longer the same. I had to think twice before walking to the printer and prepare carefully for my journey. Reaching the cafeteria without asking for help was also a challenge as I did not want people to assume I needed assistance just because my vision was impaired," said Ibrahim.
She added that while being empathetic towards one another is logical, people cannot claim to truly understand unless they are willing to experience what others are going through. "I did not know it was possible to learn so much in just a few hours," she added.
Meanwhile, Smith used noise-reducing earplugs and crutches to try different impairments across two days. He said the disability forced him to plan his everyday activities differently.
On the day he used earplugs, he said he had to lip read to understand what people said. "Taking notes in meetings was difficult because when I looked away to write something, I missed the new content. I also had to explain to my colleagues that my hearing was impaired, which was not completely comfortable."
Smith added that the experience highlighted the importance of understanding people's needs and being mindful of their abilities.
The programme highlighted that accessibility is not limited to people of determination, but also includes accessibility challenges for families with children, expectant mothers, fatigued visitors, the elderly and people with temporary injuries.
sherouk@khaleejtimes.com

• UAE
• Dubai