Australian Disabled Access Consultants  has recently established their Middle Eastern Corporate headquarters office in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

They have also commenced operations for the overall GCC Region (United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Iran, Iraq, Oman, Qatar, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia) and the overall Middle East under the trading name of Emirates Special Needs Consultants.

Australian Disabled Access Consultants was invited by the Dubai Roads and Transportation Authority to tender an expression of interest for a Study of the Needs of People with Disabilities and Special Needs in the Dubai Transportation System, United Arab Emirates.

The business partnership between the Australian Disabled Access Consultants and Emirates Special Needs Consultants commenced operations in the UAE and for the Middle East in early 2007 following the passing of the Disability Act (United Arab Emirates Federal Law No.29/2006) in December 2006. This disability act aims to protect the rights of disabled people within the United Arab Emirates.

The United Arab Emirates Disability Act (Federal Law No.29/2006) became operational on 21 June 2007 and requires that all Architects, building designers, builders etc to:

  1. Recognize the rights of disabled people and people with special needs, and
  2. Ensure that disabled people and people with special needs have the same equality of access and mobility into and within the built environment as able bodied people.

The United Arab Emirates Disability Act (Federal Law No.29/2006) protects the rights of disabled people and people with special needs and looks to correct this imbalance by requiring equitable access and related facilities for disabled people and people with special needs into all new property developments and public facilities.

Disabled people and people with special needs have the same rights and privileges afforded to the able-bodied members of our community.

Australian Disabled Access Consultants and Emirates Special Needs Consultants business partnership explained that the Dubai Roads and Transportation Authority submission has taken the unusual methodology approach to study each transportation element in turn as a separate individual transportation item within the overall Dubai transportation system as it is still evolving by:

  1. A high-tech rail system 
  2. An existing bus public transport network system 
  3. A mixed modern and traditional water transport systems 
  4. A modern highway network that is badly congested during morning and afternoon peak traffic periods

“The Australian Disabled Access Consultants and Emirates Special Needs Consultants business partnership approach will analyse each transport element separately to allow future transport audits and projections to be made for a proper integration of all modes of transport.”

Negotiations are proceeding for the involvement the Australian Disabled Access Consultants and Emirates Special Needs Consultants business partnership in this highly complex Emirate-wide transportation study. The study is required by the Dubai Emirate Government to comply with the guiding principles of the United Arab Emirates Disability Act (Federal Law No.29/2006) that aims to protect the rights of people with disabilities and special needs.