Architect Middle East – August 2019

Designing for all

With plans to become more accessible by 2020, Dubai (and the greater UAE) has

implemented a number of plans that encourage architects and developers to design

for people of all abilities. MEA explores what this means and how it’s being done.

Despite having a relatively short history implementing ac-

cessibility acts, the UAE has transformed into a regional

leader in the past 10 years, ensuring its cities are designed

with consideration of individuals of all abilities.

However, before exploring the UAE’s history of imple-

menting accessibility legislature, it ’s important to under-

stand what different levels of ability or disability mean.

Firstly, while often used to refer only to those whose mobili-

ty is restricted (i.e. wheelchairs and crutches), disability can

also refer to sensory impairments (i.e. vision or hearing), as

well as old age, or temporary conditions, such as pregnancy.

Becoming a more accessible city means that people of all

abilities can easily use public transportation to go to school

or work, use ticket or money machines, go around streets and

enter public buildings, and receive information that they can

understand. If a city is not accessible, those who identify as

a person with disability will be forced to not participate in

community growth and development.

In 2006, the UAE instated its first law that protects the

rights of people with different levels of ability. Federal law

number 29, passed by HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid

Al Maktoum, vice president of the UAE and ruler of Dubai,

provides high quality medical care and social services to all

people with disabilities, boosts public awareness and con-

tributes to integrating people with disabilities into society.

A little over 10 years later, in April 2017, the country

Accessibility protocols have recently
been applied to the UAE’s public spaces

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