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Five DEWA centres receive the ‘Autism Friendly Environment’ certificate · DEWA Podcasts

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  A major milestone for inclusivity in Dubai today,
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  Corey. Ooh. Five Diwa Customer Happiness Centers
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  have just earned the official Autism -Friendly
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  Environment Certificate. That sounds incredibly
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  important. Yeah. But let's break that down. What
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  does becoming autism -friendly actually, you
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  know, mean in this context? It means they've
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  undertaken a complete transformation. Right.
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  This isn't just a plaque on the wall. The certification,
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  which is granted by the Dubai Autism Center,
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  Okay. It follows a comprehensive assessment covering
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  employee readiness, the physical preparedness
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  of the facility, and how services are adapted
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  to meet the specific sensory and behavioral needs
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  of people with autism. So it's about creating
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  an environment that is genuinely safe and accommodating,
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  rather than just, you know, accessible. And this
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  seems to have strong backing from the top. Absolutely.
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  The commitment is deeply embedded in the organization's
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  strategy. Wow. His Excellency Saeed Mohammed
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  Al -Tayr, the MD and CEO of Diwa, he framed it
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  perfectly. What did he say? Well, he stated,
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  and this is a direct quote, Okay. We prioritize
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  supporting people of determination and providing
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  an inclusive and safe environment across all
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  our facilities to ensure their comfort and happiness,
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  whether as customers or employees. Hmm. And,
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  he said, this aligns with the national policy
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  for empowering people of determination. Right.
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  Launched by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin
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  Rashid Al Maktoum, which aims to create an inclusive
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  society that ensures empowerment and a dignified
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  life for people of determination and their families.
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  That's huge. It also supports My Community, A
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  City for Everyone initiative, launched by His
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  Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid
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  Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai. Deputy Prime
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  Minister and Minister of Defense of the UAE and
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  Chairman of the Executive Council of Dubai to
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  transform Dubai into an accessible city for people
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  of determination. That's such a powerful statement.
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  It is. I mean, it directly connects Doha's actions
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  on the ground to the highest national goals for
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  creating an inclusive, dignified society. Exactly.
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  It shows this isn't a side project. This is a
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  core mission. Exactly. And His Excellency also
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  added that this is about more than just facilities.
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  Right. It's about people. He said we provide
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  specialized training programs for employees to
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  empower them to deliver a comprehensive service
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  experience that meets the aspirations of all
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  segments of society. That's the critical piece,
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  isn't it? The human element. Yes. You can have
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  a perfectly designed building. Right. But if
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  the staff aren't trained and empathetic, the
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  experience just fails. This holistic approach
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  is what truly sets a new benchmark. And it's
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  part of a much larger story unfolding in the
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  city. Oh? Mohamed Al -Emadi from the Dubai Autism
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  Center noted that to date, 29 entities in Dubai
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  have now been accredited as autism -friendly.
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  29! Wow, that's incredible momentum, especially
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  since the program just began in 2022. It is.
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  It feels like a genuine city -wide transformation
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  is underway, making Dubai a more welcoming place
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  for everyone. It certainly does. Now, here's
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  a question we'd like you, our listeners, to think
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  about. What public space in your daily life would
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  you most like to see become autism -friendly
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  next? And what specific changes do you think
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  would make the biggest difference?