BY RAYNALD C RIVERA
DOHA: Experts have called for making Doha more accessible to persons with disabilities (PWDs). Despite the considerable presence of PWDs in the country, accessibility and connectivity is lacking in facilities such as taxis, public areas and hotels, they said on the final day of the Definitely Able conference at the Museum of Islamic Art, yesterday.
As the city witnesses fast-paced construction and infrastructure development in the run-up to the Fifa World Cup 2022, many believe there is a need to consider accessibility in the designing of facilities.
Eng. Jamal Al Kaabi, Director of Central Planning Office, Ministry of Municipality and Urban Planning, said there was a need for “a clearly defined organisation responsible to unify all specifications in all agencies” to ensure provision of adequate facilities for everyone, including PWDs.
“We, at the Central Planning Office, are looking at this,” said Al Kaabi, adding they had “12 months to come up with specifications to build everything on time.”
He was speaking at the final session, titled “Finding the accessible Doha”, of the two-day conference.
Mark Dyer, Accessibility and Inclusive Design Adviser, Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy, said “World Cup 2022 will be different” as accessibility is one of the important elements in the design of stadiums and infrastructure to make the event “good and safe for everyone.”
On the design of facilities, he said, “If it works for a disabled person, it will work for others.”
“Designers must think in the longer term. We have to think of accessibility and how it evolves. It’s not the buildings that engineers build but people,” said Nick Tyler, Chadwick Professor of Civil Engineering, University College London, sharing the experience of London.
“As a city we must ensure all activities are accessible. A city with connectivity denies opportunities to all population,” said Tyler, adding accessibility is “not an optional extra but a requirement of a city.”
“The mark of a civilization is how it does well for those with the most challenges,” he said.
David Banes, Deputy CEO, Mada, Qatar Assistive Technology Center, stressed the need for information on accessible places to visit for PWDs. It necessitates a portal that provides information that is compatible with mobile phones, easy to use and can be shared by everyone, he said.
The said tool can be used by the tourism sector as well as for World Cup 2022, he added.
He recommended the use of Wheelmap.org, a free global online map for wheelchair-accessible places which is available as a mobile app. With the information available, mobility-impaired people can easily find out which places are accessible and which are not, increasing their mobility and participation in society. Everyone can participate by marking the wheelchair accessibility of public places.
Banes urged people to participate in creating a map of accessible places in Doha through the app.
“People without disability can do that on behalf of the wider community to help PWDs, families and policymakers,” he said.
“Let people know how far we go so we can build an accessible Doha,” he said.
He expressed optimism due to a shift in the attitude of people toward disability.
“There has been an increase in the number of accessible locations. There has also been an increase in interaction between people with and without disabilities,” he said.
Other sessions yesterday focused on access to education, art as a vehicle to change perceptions, and accessible museums and galleries.
The two-day conference, organised by Sasol and British Council in partnership with Qatar Museums, was aimed at providing a platform to the disabled community in Qatar and an opportunity for policymakers and stakeholders to share experiences.
The Ilham art exhibition that ran with the conference features works by seven deaf and ‘disabled’ artists from Qatar, Oman and Britain, who were inspired by the MIA collection. It is open during the MIA’s hours until March 27.
THE PENINSULA
