Dubai Explores New Tools To Make Emirate More Accessible For People Of Determination

Visitors communicated through sign language, tried out new technologies and explored solutions designed to make everyday life easier for people of determination as government entities and companies showcased innovations in Dubai on Monday.

Across the exhibition floor, visitors could see how assistive technologies work in practice, while organisations demonstrated solutions designed to improve communication, accessibility and independence.

For some families, the growing focus on accessibility carries a personal significance.

“As a mother of a child of determination, it makes me happy to see more people learning sign language and making an effort to communicate with people who have hearing impairments. Even learning a few signs can make a difference. It helps our children feel understood, included and more comfortable in society,” said Umm Zayed.

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Ameera Salem said trying the technologies in person helped demonstrate their practical value.

“Sometimes, people see a technology on display without realising how much difference it can make in someone's daily life. Being able to try it and understand how it works makes the experience more meaningful,” she said.

Among the initiatives showcased was Dubai Police's 'Himam X' kit, designed to help officers communicate with and assist people of determination, including those with hearing impairments and visual disabilities.

Mohammed Al Janahi from Dubai Police explained how the kit can help officers overcome communication barriers when responding to situations involving people with disabilities.

For example, an officer who cannot communicate directly with a person with a hearing impairment can contact Dubai Police's command and control room, which can connect the officer with a sign-language interpreter.

The interpreter relays the conversation, allowing the officer to understand the person's needs and determine how best to help.

The system lets officers seek communication support during an encounter, helping them respond more effectively to people of determination.

By equipping patrol officers with assistive tools, Dubai Police aims to make its services more accessible to people with different needs, including those who may face difficulties communicating during an emergency or when seeking assistance.

For Emirati inventor Shahad Al Zaabi, her motivation came from a challenge much closer to home.

A member of the Emirates Inventors Association, Al Zaabi said her older brother struggled to access the assistance he needed while attending university. Navigating the campus and getting to classrooms could be difficult, particularly when he needed help moving around or accessing facilities.

Watching him encounter these barriers prompted her to think about how a single platform could connect people with disabilities to the support they need.

Her proposed application, Ishara, brings different forms of assistance together in one place, letting users request help with a single tap.

The concept includes a field-assistance feature that lets users specify the type of support they need. A request would then be directed to the relevant staff member, helping them identify the person requiring assistance and respond accordingly.

The idea is to make requesting support simpler, rather than leaving people to work out whom to approach or how to obtain help in different settings.

Al Zaabi said the team had also developed a simplified model inspired by the original concept for school students, with ambitions to develop the idea further.

She hopes the project will eventually grow into a more comprehensive solution that can benefit people of determination in the UAE and beyond.

Across the exhibition floor, government entities and companies showcased assistive devices, digital tools and services intended to address different accessibility needs.

Hands-on demonstrations let visitors explore how the solutions worked, while giving exhibitors opportunities to engage potential users and gather feedback.

The exhibition also brought together organisations working across transport, healthcare, education, and public services, highlighting how accessibility requires cross-sector cooperation.

For people of determination, a solution's value often comes down to whether it addresses a specific everyday challenge: communicating with an officer, navigating a public facility or requesting assistance without unnecessary difficulty.

By demonstrating these solutions in practice, exhibitors seek to understand how technology can better meet those needs and where further improvements may be needed.

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