Disabled Access International senior management team recently met the executive director of Takamul, Dr Haidar Saeed Al Yousuf and Project Director, Dr Sandra Willis at the Takamul headquarters at the Dubai Education City, United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Wayne Boyle and Dr Haidar Saeed Al Yousuf discussed issues relating to the design of schools within the Emirate of Dubai and provision of disability access and mobility facilities within all proposed schools and existing schools for disabled children.
Specialised class rooms and facilities for each type rehabilitation service were agreed to be provided for each school’s disabled children.
Disabled Access International offered to assist Takamul in its educational works programs by providing design advice to all of the school’s designers during the project design stages and to conduct building audits during the construction stages and at the completion of building works.
Dr Haidar Saeed Al Yousuf was hopeful that Takamul would utilise Disabled Access International’s design consultancy and building auditing services in the upcoming school upgrading works program for the Emirate of Dubai.
Disabled children have the same rights and privileges afforded to the able-bodied children within the community.
The UAE Disability Act (Federal Law No.29/2006) protects the rights of disabled children and seeks to correct this imbalance by requiring equitable access and related facilities for disabled children into all new property developments that includes schools and rehabilitation schools.
Building designers, construction companies, building owners and managers must ensure that access and related facilities are provided for disabled people including disabled children and ensure that the access and facilities are available at all times maintained at all times.