The development of a city is often determined by its infrastructure and convenience provided to the residents and various communities. Dubai, the hub of the UAE, has made sure that the residents are not affected while the city developed.
One prime example among the many is the continuous efforts put in by the government to make Dubai the world’s best city for the people with disability by 2020. Dubai is set to achieve the aim of becoming an embracing, barrier-free and a disabled-friendly city by the time it hosts Expo 2020.
It is certainly refreshing for a city to consider the well-being and convenience of differently-abled along with the development. As per the latest reports, the city will ensure that the services and the facilities successfully help the differently-abled in becoming self-dependent, to help them serve their communities and explore their diverse capacities.
Dubai-based Shobhika Kalra, who runs Wings of Angelz platform, said, “I think Dubai is working very hard to make it as disabled-friendly as possible. The wheelchair friendly taxis, the pavements with slopes, the tactile indicators on floor for the visually-impaired at all the metro stations, and most of all, the change in the attitude of the people are extremely encouraging.”
In lieu of the Expo 2020, Dubai will be conducting the first Accessible Tourism International Summit of the country. The summit will be held from 5-6 November, with the theme of “Making all cities friendly for tourists with disabilities”.
The news made the headlines after Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) lauded the UAE’s efforts to make the expo next year a success.
Vicente Gonzalez Loscertales, Secretary-General of the BIE, in relations with preparations said, “The UAE is fully prepared to host an exceptional edition of the expo next year, and the BIE is well satisfied with its logistical and technical preparations.”
“We are eagerly awaiting the launch of this unique version of the expo in the UAE, and we are certain that Dubai will dazzle us and the world in 2020, as we have felt and are feeling the team spirit,” he added.
With the preparations of Expo 2020 and the city being turned into a disabled-friendly one, Dubai has once again proved that it is focused towards a sustainable development and at the same time believes in taking care of its citizen with every step towards progress.