Dubai, the United Arab Emirates’ capital city and a world-class business hub is hosting Expo 2020 Dubai this year. The expo aims to make mobility easier for people with disabilities by focusing on accessible technologies like electric wheelchairs, voice controlled accessibility platforms and 3D audio technology among others that can help create the most immersive experience possible for all visitors making it an enjoyable visit for everyone no matter who they are or what their capabilities may be.
The “universal access signage” is a priority for the Expo 2020 Dubai. The event will be held in Dubai from April 4th to April 6th, 2020.
Expo 2020 Dubai is the biggest event of the year in the globe. The Expo, which runs from October to March 2022, has the subject of ‘Connecting Minds, Creating the Future,’ and will include nations from all over the globe and their ideas that have the potential to alter the world for the better.
It also takes a novel approach to accessibility.
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By the end of March 2022, the Expo 2020 Dubai is expected to attract 25 million visitors from around the world, while the number of visitors to its online platform (which includes virtual tours of many of the event’s pavilions and attractions for those who can’t physically attend) had risen to nearly 16 million.
The event’s initial approach to accessibility was to use their word for those with various accessibility requirements. Instead of calling them handicapped, they call them “people of determination.” Individuals with invisible impairments, such as those with sensory processing issues or those who are hard of hearing or Deaf, are included in the phrase, which is an umbrella category for a number of persons with varying requirements.
During World Children’s Day at Expo 2020 Dubai, visitors witness an event in Al Wasl. (Image courtesy of Expo 2020 Dubai LLC)
Expo 2020 Dubai’s Director of Sustainability Operations, Dina Storey, explains how they want to make this gigantic event accessible and reachable to everyone: “Because diversity, acceptance, and dedication to the task of delivering an exceptional event to the world is one of the UAE’s most important values, it was critical to ensure that the team behind Expo 2020 was diverse, accepting, and dedicated to the task of delivering an exceptional event to the world.” “Determined people played a key part in the planning and execution of the worldwide event.”
“As a consequence of constant engagement with the community and important stakeholders, [the] Expo has developed a deep grasp of the path of a person of determination.” This included a series of accessibility forums, which led to Expo introducing a lot of accommodations for persons with a strong will,” Storey said.
The actual scope of Expo 2020 Dubai’s accessibility features is mind-boggling. Rather of just building wheelchair ramps and elevators where they are required and calling it accessible, the Expo goes above and above to guarantee that all visitors may enjoy themselves.
At night, an aerial picture of the Expo 2020 Dubai. (Image courtesy of Expo 2020 Dubai LLC)
Relief areas for service dogs, bathrooms with height adjustable benches and hoists, step-free access to every pavilion within the Expo, Hearing Induction Loops or Hearing Enhancement Systems to ensure that individuals who use hearing aids can enjoy audio within pavilions, Braille and tactile map boards, ear defenders and sunglasses, Quiet Rooms in Visitor Centers, and sensory rating cards for every pavilion are just a few of the innovative accommodations made.
These are just a few of the many smart ways that Expo 2020 Dubai is making the event more accessible to the general public.
“In cooperation with SAP – Expo’s Innovative Enterprise Software Premier Partner,” Storey noted, “our team has also created the PODway app, which is meant to assist people of determination traverse the site.” “By finding the accessible elements available in each pavilion and accessible services, the app is especially intended to serve mobility, visual, hearing, cognitive, or sensory-access requirements.” For individuals who are determined, it also features a feedback-based trip, guided navigation, and aid tracking.”
Sensory Access, an organization that works with events to make them more accessible for people with sensory processing issues, has approved Expo 2020 Dubai as a Sensory Accessible Event. It’s also a member of The Valuable 500, a global group of firms and corporations committed to business inclusiveness, with an emphasis on disability inclusion.
Interior of Al Wasl, one of Dubai’s key pavilions for Expo 2020. (Image courtesy of Expo 2020 Dubai LLC)
The Expo gives free admission to persons who are determined, as well as half-off the standard ticket price for a second companion.
“In addition to these initiatives, we have held Tolerance and Inclusivity Week in November as part of Expo’s Theme Weeks, a series of 10 Thematic Weeks that address significant worldwide concerns.” “Our ultimate goal is to guarantee that this mega-event achieves its goal of uniting the globe to build a brighter future for all mankind,” Storey added.
This approach to accessibility should be emulated by events and even destinations all around the globe.
Please go here for additional information about Expo 2020 Dubai, as well as a virtual tour.
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