Disabled Access International consults to Civilco in Abu Dhabi, UAE
Disabled Access International has completed a preliminary disability access and mobility design assessment of a major Civilco construction project at Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE) that comprised a multi-storey hotel, high-rise office building, shopping complex and night club and a high-rise apartment building.
Disabled Access International’s disability access and mobility assessment recommended that each building provide design elements for disabled people’s access and mobility into and within each complex.
Disabled Access International recommended that the Civilco project that is at early stages of construction consider the following design issues to comply with international planning and design practice for access and mobility of disabled people in respect of:
- Front building entry pedestrian ramps
- Disabled car parking spaces, parking area layout, identification and quantum of disabled parking spaces
- Sports club change room facilities
- Identified residential accommodation for disabled people in lower levels of the hotel
- Internal continuous pathways of travel
- Tactile indicators
- Slip resistant flooring
- Kitchen sizes and layouts
- Stairways
- Hand rails
- Toilets
- Doors, door openings, door hardware and glazing
- Light switches
- General purpose outlets (power points)
- Lighting and illumination
- Lifts
- Signs and directory boards
- Door keying
- Fire hydrants
- Emergency call buttons
- Emergency warning systems
- Emergency evacuation plan
Disabled people have the same rights and privileges afforded to the able-bodied members of the community.
The UAE Disability Act (Federal Law No.29/2006) protects the rights of disabled people and seeks to correct this imbalance by requiring equitable access and related facilities for disabled into all new property developments.
Raffi Khorozian of Disabled Access International said: “We fully support Civilco’s project designs where they comply with our recommendations as a community project to support UAE Disability Act (Federal Law No.29/2006).”
3-Oct-2007