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Charmaine ’ s design expertise was also used on Antigua ’ s first speech and language therapy clinic , a project which was very dear to her . Center for the Holistic Advancement of Therapeutic Services ( CHATS ) is a happy , colourful yet calming space .
As Charmaine and her husband consult on new projects , universal design is an integral part of each conversation . Young couples are encouraged to think twenty or thirty years ahead . “ A parent may move in ,” Charmaine says “ because that ' s happening a lot now . Younger people who are building homes have to think about their parents , as it is becoming more common to have multi-generational homes which means that you ' re not only designing for the young client but you ’ re also designing for the client ’ s parents and children .” Charmaine is heartened that nine out of ten times their advice is accepted which “ is good because it ' s an expensive task to have to redo a house just to make it easier to live in .”
If you live in a place where the outdoors can be blended into your living space , give it a try . Let nature speak in your ‘ outside room ’ and think of accessibility .
Dr Jennifer Camulli has over 30
years’ experience in working with and
advocating for people with disabilities.
Her previous roles include Certified
Accessibility Consultant, Certified
Educational Therapist and Head of
Inclusion.
She is currently leading the efforts
to place accessibility at the heart of
planning for Expo 2020 Dubai, the first
World Expo to take place in the Middle
East, Africa and South Asia region.
Running from 1 October, 2021 until 31
March, 2022, Expo 2020 is a global
gathering dedicated to bringing
together people, communities and
nations to build bridges, inspire action
and deliver real-life solutions to real-
life challenges.
DR. JENNIFER CAMULLI
Autism, Inclusion, Accessibility
and Expo 2020 Dubai
April is World Autism
Awareness Month, which
is dedicated to increasing
awareness about Autism
Spectrum Disorder. Is it
possible for someone to be
autistic and not know it?
Yes, absolutely. Many people
do not know they have
autism until they receive an
official diagnosis. And even
then, if they are very young,
they may not know or fully
understand what autism
means until they are older, or
if there is moderate to severe
intellectual impairment, they
Visit www.expo2020dubai.com to find
out more.
may never really understand it.
It’s also becoming increasingly
common for adults to come
forward for self-referral if they
suspect that some of the
social and communication
challenges they have had
since a young age can possibly
be accounted for with a
diagnosis of autism.
How effective is inclusive
education?
Like any process or service, it
is only as good as the people
delivering it. Globally, there
are different approaches to
inclusive education, often
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because of varying levels of
awareness, different cultural
perspectives, and both the
ability and willingness to
adapt teaching methods and
curriculum content.
What are some of the key
variables for the successful
implementation of
inclusive education?
To begin with, if inclusive
education isn’t mandated
by the relevant authorities,
schools may opt to either not
offer it at all or be selective in
their admission offers. Equally,
if a school’s leadership team
isn’t fully committed to the
principles of inclusive education,
its implementation and practice
will also suffer.
It’s also incredibly important
to ensure that each and every
student has the opportunity to
experience success at school,
no matter what that looks like.
Everyone deserves the right to
achieve – it’s tied so intrinsically
to the concept of dignity
and self-worth. For example,
allowances should be made
for students to advance with
their peers and participate in
graduation ceremonies. Even if a
student hasn’t met the criteria to
officially graduate, they can still
be presented with a certificate
of achievement and celebrate
with their classmates. The need
to belong is strong, and schools
need to enable this.
What are some of the
critical steps for building an
inclusive workplace?
Successful inclusive
workplaces are those that
foster a collaborative work
environment, where everyone
has a voice. Consultation with
the disabled person on what
accommodations s/he may
need in the workplace, including
the option to work from home,
facilitates empowerment and
trust. Employees should also be
provided with regular training
on engaging with colleagues
with disabilities and it’s a
particularly powerful statement
when an organisation has a
dedicated Inclusion Team, or a
group of Inclusion Champions.
Consideration should also be
given to providing accessible
communication for physical and
virtual meetings where required,
such as live captioning.
What is the theme of Expo
2020 and when/where in
Dubai will it be held?
At Expo 2020 Dubai, you’ll
experience the world in one
place – a global gathering
dedicated to bringing together
people, communities and
nations to build bridges,
inspire action and deliver
real-life solutions to real-life
problems. Expo’s theme of
‘Connecting Minds, Creating
the Future’ is underpinned by
three subthemes – Opportunity,
Mobility and Sustainability –
that we believe are the three key
drivers of human progress and
prosperity, and are aligned with
the Sustainable Development
Goals.
Expo 2020 will take place in
Dubai between 1 October,
2021 and 31 March, 2022, on
an incredible 4.38 sq km site
in Dubai South. Dubai is easily
reached by sea, air or land,
and Expo will be well-served
by public transport, including
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the world-class Dubai Metro
and dedicated Expo Rider bus
service.
How easy will it be for people
of determination to navigate
their way around the Expo?
What are some of the
accessibility services and
features that will be in place
for them?
People of determination have
been a key priority in our
planning from the very beginning
and we’ve made sure to include
a number of measures to enable
them to navigate the site easily
and safely, to enjoy an incredible
visitor experience.
For example, we’ve installed
14 tactile maps around the site
which will provide raised and
embossed images of the area
nearest to them as well as audio
output and braille. And we have
also developed our PODium app,
in collaboration with SAP, an
Official Premier Partner of Expo
2020. The app provides 3-D visual
mapping, audio navigation and
haptic feedback to assist visitors
with these needs. Our Thematic
Pavilions also have tactile maps
to assist visitors in understanding
the environment around them.
There are 15 Information Centres
across the site and an additional
seven Information Kiosks that can
provide important information to
all our visitors.
In addition to this, we’ve also
created four Quiet Rooms on