Business & Money | Wednesday 26 July, 2017 10:56 am |

AccessAbilities Expo to host ‘Inclusion in the Workplace’ conference

Employment rates for people with disabilities abysmally low worldwide

Experts to discuss challenges in creating inclusive work environment

July 26, 2017, Dubai (UAE): In line with the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, toward enhancing inclusion and building a brighter future for people with determination, AccessAbilities Expo 2017 will host a conference on ‘Inclusion in the Workplace’.

Worldwide, people with disabilities face greater challenges in securing jobs and employment rates for people with disabilities are far lower compared to people without disabilities. According to a United Nations (UN) report, 80 per cent to 90 per cent of people with disabilities of working age in developing countries are unemployed.

The ‘Inclusion in the Workplace’ conference will have international experts on disability discuss present employment scenario for people with determination, the challenges and key issues relating to inclusive work environments, government policies and regulations on employment for people with determination, use of technology to make the workplace more accessible and other ways to create a disability friendly workplace and environment.

The conference will be hosted during AccessAbilities Expo, the region’s largest dedicated event for the disabilities sector, which is being held from November 7-9, 2017, at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre (DICEC).

Held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President of Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, Chairman of Dubai Airports, Chairman and Chief Executive of Emirates Airline and Group, the Expo will bring the world’s latest robotic and assistive technology products from across the world, that can lead people with determination toward better and independent lives.

AccessAbilities Expo is organised by Nadd AlShiba PR and Event Management and Reed Exhibitions.

Daniyal Qureshi, Group Exhibitions Director, Reed Exhibitions Middle East, said: “AccessAbilities Expo has been designed to play a very constructive role in developing greater opportunities for people with disabilities. Our aim is to provide an essential platform to showcase the most advanced products and services from around the world for people with disabilities, while also creating a positive impact on the wider community of employers, educators, government officials and industry at large. By hosting this important conference, we hope to make our society and community more inclusive.”

The ‘Inclusion in the Workplace’ conference expects over 200 attendees with heads of HR already confirmed to attend from UAE, Saudi Arabia, Oman and other Middle East countries. Amongst other topics, the conference will discuss UAE laws on hiring people with disabilities and hiring policies, inclusion as a part of corporate strategy, harnessing the latest smart technology to facilitate inclusion in the workplace and ways to create competitive advantage for organisations employing people with disabilities.

AccessAbilities Expo 2017 is expected to attract 30 per cent more companies this year, including a higher international participation. The inaugural expo in 2016 was remarkably successful with more than 6,000 people, including individuals with disabilities, their families, educationists, experts from different sectors such as healthcare, technology and infrastructure, and decision-makers, attending the exhibition and exhibitors from 41 countries showcasing the latest products and services at the event.