Hanadi Abu Naama - Dubai
Within the days of the circulation of the “Emirates Code for a Qualified Environment for All” to all local and federal departments and institutions, in conjunction with a training plan implemented by the Emirates Authority for Standards and Specifications starting this week, to enable those entities to apply the code in accordance with the required standards and conditions, and determine a set of sanctions Whoever violates their implementation.
Wafaa Hamad bin Sulaiman, Director of Welfare and Rehabilitation Department of the Ministry of Community Development, revealed a cooperation partnership between the ministry and the Authority to work on implementing a code implementation plan. Applied and uniform globally, stressing that the application of sanctions is a fundamental point, where the relevant stakeholders should conduct control over the compliance with the application of the standards of the code.
“A number of hotel standards and conditions have been included in the code, including setting 5% of rooms for the use of the owners, while at the same time beautiful and attractive to all other categories, after making some modifications in the way they are designed, including the possibility of providing facilities,” said Ben Slimane. In the bathroom is removable and removable ».
She gave the example of Ben Sulayman in the construction of new buildings. She said the municipality should monitor the executing authority of the building according to the plan designed according to the code it approved from the beginning, stressing that the idea of the code was based on a universal design that fits all segments of society without discrimination, It must fit everyone, old and young, with all their daily needs.
She explained that the “Emirates Environment Code eligible for all” can be defined as criteria and conditions that must be available in all the structures that make up the everyday environment of buildings, products and services, in order to enable people of concern and various segments of society to live in independence, and participate fully in all aspects of life, By designing environments, goods and information, so that they are usable by all people with their various current and changing characteristics as much as possible and with complete autonomy.
"The code design is suitable for all segments of society, including the elderly and children," Ben Slimane said, giving for example the specifications of slope design in buildings that should not only suit the use of people of determination, but also suit anyone who needs to use a wheeled vehicle, as well as even Pedestrian walk.
"All products and services should be designed for everyone," she said. "There are services in the mobile phone, for example, that are used by the blind or the deaf and not by others, but they must be present."
She stressed that the ministry has worked on designing a unified and applicable code at the national level, where the journey of the customer of the people of determination in all the Emirates is easy and available, said: «If someone lives in Dubai, for example, working in Sharjah and treated in Abu Dhabi, it must be a successful trip Throughout the country in terms of building, transport and other services specifications, that's why one standard has been created with one standard across the UAE to ensure an easy and safe environment. ” She pointed to an example of some of the challenges facing the integration of people with disabilities in schools, including the lack of elevators (Asancir) for the upper floors, which could deprive students of the people of determination to attend the lab classes if found on the top floor, pointing out that The code is universal, but the ministry has added some items that are appropriate to the local environment, such as standards for establishing ablutions places in toilets, women's waiting areas, etc., which some other countries do not need.