Accessibility at Expo City Dubai
Expo City Dubai has built accessibility into its very fabric to ensure that people of determination – whether residents, working professionals, visitors, or employees – are fully supported.
DID YOU KNOW?
People of Determination
In the United Arab Emirates, people with disabilities are officially referred to as people of determination. The term reflects the UAE’s mission to create an inclusive, barrier-free, rights-based society that promotes, protects and ensures the self-determination of everyone with the aim to empower people of determination and their families. As you visit Expo City Dubai and travel around Dubai and the UAE, you may hear people using this term and see signs for facilities or programs for people of determination (POD).
QUICK LINKS
Jump to the right section
These are the features and section for visitors with specific accessibility needs.
General city features
Dedicated accessible parking zones for people of determination are available in all parking areas, and in close proximity to attractions and working spaces.
Wheelchair accessible buggies are available free of charge for use across Expo City Dubai. And, near the POD parking, subject to availability.
Tickets are available free of charge for all people of determination.
Sunflower Lanyards (also known as ‘Hidden Disabilities Lanyards’) are available to people of determination to indicate to staff and volunteers that additional assistance or accessible entry may be required. It is available in all visitor centers and information before people screening area (PSA).
Two dog relief area for service dogs – including dogs that guide people who are blind or have low vision; detect impending seizures (epilepsy); alert to critical sounds (deaf or hard of hearing); and provide reassurance (anxiety/autism) – are available at Visitor Centres 3 and 5.
Features for visitors with reduced mobility
Expo City has three Changing Places toilets featuring height-adjustable benches, hand wash basins and a hoist to assist with transfer. The Changing Places toilets, available in Visitor Centres 1, 3, and 6, are the first in the UAE to be installed outside of a medical facility. They are in addition to standard accessible toilets, which are also available across Expo City.
Wheelchairs are available for hire at all Visitor Centres and at mobility hubs across the site.
Step-free access ensures wheelchair accessibility across the Public Realm, including key attractions such as Garden in the Sky and the Surreal water feature, as well as Terra Pavilion, Alif Pavilion, the Vision Pavilion and the three Stories of Nations exhibitions.
Electric wheelchair charging stations are available at Visitor Centres.
Dedicated areas are available for wheelchair users at event venues.
More than 150 evacuation chairs are available across the site to enable safe and quick evacuation in the event of an emergency.
A range of service counters and drinking fountains are at accessible heights.
Features for blind or low-vision visitors
Braille signage is available in key areas and attractions.
Braille is used to convey interesting information, for example, on the Sabeel water fountains, where braille explains the journey of water.
Tactile paving is installed in key areas to highlight potential hazards.
Features for deaf or hard-of-hearing visitors
Hearing Induction Loops (also known as Hearing Enhancement Systems) are provided at Visitor Centres and dedicated ticket counters, ensuring hearing aid users can enjoy audio experiences.
Features for visitors with autism or with sensory processing disorder
- Quiet Rooms are available in Visitor Centres 1, 3 and 6, and sustainability providing spaces to decompress for visitors who feel overstimulated, overwhelmed or anxious
- Quiet Rooms feature a Sensory Pod, quiet seating, and controllable sensory stimulation to allow visitors to reset their sensory processing and take a sensory break
Terra offers sensory tours that are thoughtfully designed to create an accessible and inclusive sensory experience, catering to individuals who are neuro-diverse.
Ear defenders are available to borrow from the Visitor Centres (not all visitor centres)
Alif and Terra Pavilions are sensory rated by Sensory Access, that includes Autistics and those with sensory-processing differences. This will inform visitors of sound, lighting, aroma, movement and temperature impacts.
Download the sensory rating cards below:
Sensory rating card - Alif Pavilion
Sensory rating card - Terra Pavilion
EXPO 2020
Building on the success of Expo 2020 Dubai
Expo City builds on the legacy of Expo 2020 Dubai, which set new accessibility benchmarks:
- Expo 2020 was certified a Sensory Accessible Event by Sensory Access after meeting the standards and criteria set by the International Board of Sensory Accessibility, becoming the first World Expo and the first event in the Middle East, North Africa and Asia to be granted this certification
- Expo 2020 was the first event to be named as a member of The Valuable 500 – a collective of global businesses and corporations dedicated to business inclusivity
Contact us
If you have any questions or inquiries, please feel free to contact us at accessibility@expocitydubai.ae.