Sharing Good Practice
THE DUBAI UNIVERSAL DESIGN CODE
AN OPPORTUNITY FOR SCHOOLS TO REVIEW THEIR ACCESSIBILITY
BY STEVEN MIFSUD
by their inclusion. Parent participation
in a child’s education where a parent is
a Person of Determination will increase
how school facilities are accessible.
Some of the requirements from the
Universal Design Code to be imposed
on schools include:
I
n 2017, Sheikh Mohammed bin
Rashid Al Maktoum, the Vice
President and Prime Minister of the
United Arab Emirates (UAE) and
Ruler of the Emirate of Dubai decreed
that disabled people are to be defined
as People of Determination. Dubai’s
Executive Council is currently on a
drive to make all public buildings and
city facilities accessible for People
of Determination by 2020. The new
rules have been released in the form
of the Dubai Universal Design Code
which schools must follow to meet
obligations. All new buildings must be
fully compliant and existing buildings
retrofitted.
The ‘My community…a city for
everyone’ initiative also makes the
commitment for inclusion clear and is
supported by Dubai Law No. 2, 2014. It
is therefore expected that each school
in Dubai will promote a highly inclusive
ethos and demonstrate clearly how
this is being delivered.
The growth in school places creating
competition means that school
operators have to be more innovative
in attracting new students. The
Design Code offers an opportunity
to review existing accessibility and
plan for improvements including
innovative approaches. Increasing
access not only benefits Children of
Determination – their peers benefit
from richer and more diverse classes
1. An accessible pathway segregated
from the buses to the school
entrances
2. Seating with different characteristics
to be provided depending on
the individual needs of students.
Spaces also need to be provided for
wheelchair users
3. Removable seating at desks
4. Schools and nurseries are required
to have toilets which have furniture
at the appropriate heights
5. The provision of electrical plugs
near seating to allow assistive
devices to be used by Students of
Determination such as computers
and optical readers
6. Specified levels of required
illumination for classrooms and
teaching areas
The code itself goes beyond looking
at physical buildings to consider
transportation. Any new bus or school
transport will need to be purchased
with accessibility in mind. This may
include a loop system (for deaf or
hard of hearing people) or wheelchair
access. Diverse options on offer
include lifts at the rear and step free
entrances at the side.
To better understand the level of
access for People of Determination,
an Access Audit has to be carried out
and findings recorded. The Design
Code offers a simple checklist in the
appendix. Alternatively, a specialist
Access Consultant who understands
educational settings and is able to
undertake detailed measurements
to the guidance set out in the Code
can compile a report and action list to
meet compliance.
The process of completing an access
audit is generally taken in two stages.
The first stage is a walkthrough
inspection of the site using the
surveyor’s knowledge. During this
stage the surveyor would look at a
number of different details including
external and internal ramps, entrances,
reception areas, platform lifts, lighting,
acoustics, means of escape and much
more in order to identify any issues or
barriers.
The second stage suggests any
possible improvements which can
be made to the site, from small
adjustments to major structural
alterations. The audit would also
give an idea of priorities, but most
importantly how to start. This would
be in the form of an action plan which
demonstrates to Government an
understanding of existing barriers
and a planned route to resolving
these. The Dubai Schools Inspection
Bureau has stated in their latest report
that provision for Special Educational
Need must remain a major focus of
their inspection regime and an audit
will be a significant element of the self-
reporting system.
Careful consideration of new school
designs and extensions to existing
premises need to be given to avoid
costly retrofits. This may be through
an Architectural firm that commissions
an Access Consultant or the school
commissions the Access Consultant to
issue an Access Statement based on
the plans.
Other UAE Emirates are following the
ethos of the Dubai Code in their own
way. In Kuwait the Government has
launched the Vision Towards Persons
with Disability and Saudi Arabia’s
commitment to increasing education
opportunities, illustrates growing
awareness across the Middle East of
how an accessible school can make a
difference to a child’s education.
Steven Mifsud BA (Hons), NRCA is Director of Direct Access, an
Incensu registered education supplier, who has worked with over 800
schools, universities, colleges, nurseries and special schools in the UK.
www.directaccessuae.com
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