DEWA Enhances Accessibility for People of Determination with Hearing Disability

HE Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD & CEO of Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) emphasised DEWA’s commitment to providing inclusive facilities, information and services for People of Determination, on an equal basis with others. This is in line with the National Policy for Empowering People of Determination, launched by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to create an inclusive society that ensures empowerment and a decent life for People of Determination and their families. Our efforts also support the ‘My Community... a City for Everyone’ initiative, launched by His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of the Executive Council of Dubai, to transform Dubai into an accessible city for People of Determination. DEWA has added a digital sign language interpreter powered by Artificial Intelligence (AI) to enhance the accessibility of information and translate the webpage content into sign language for People of Determination (POD) with hearing disability. This feature is available on DEWA’s website 24/7. This is part of DEWA also provides ‘Ash’ir’ service which is a dedicated live video chat service where customers with hearing impairment can interact with Customer Care Centre staff through sign language. This service is available 24/7 on DEWA’s Smart App for iOS and Android platforms. The number of DEWA employees trained in sign language has increased to 770 employees, 22 of whom hold a diploma in sign language.

“We support the vision of the wise leadership to make the UAE the best country in the world in caring for and empowering People of Determination. We work within the framework of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) ratified by the UAE, especially Article 9, which calls for facilitating People of Determination’s accessibility to the physical environment, transportation, information and communications, and other facilities and services provided to the public. DEWA continues to utilise the latest global technologies and best practices to ensure that People of Determination have an easy access to opportunities, experiences, and services available on an equal basis with others, qualifying them to live independently, and enhancing their quality of life. This supports the Dubai Social Agenda 33 and ensures their active participation in the development and prosperity journey,” said HE Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD & CEO of DEWA.

The latest achievements:

In 2023, for the fourth consecutive year, DEWA completed all strategic indicators in the inclusion and empowerment of People of Determination. These encompass the happiness of Employees of Determination (EOD) and the happiness of their families about the safe and inclusive work environment at DEWA, as well as equal job opportunities. This reflects DEWA’s efforts to enhance its accessible, inclusive, and flexible environment. The happiness of EOD reached 100%, while the happiness of their families reached 97.21%. The percentage of community happiness about DEWA’s support for People of Determination (POD) reached 94.27%, while the happiness rate of Customers of Determination with DEWA’s services reached 97.48%.

DEWA won the Best People-of-Determination-Friendly Government Entity award at the Dubai Government Excellence Program (DGEP) 2024. DEWA also received the Golden Certificate 'Accessible UNI' from Dubai Municipality, for the 10 DEWA buildings that have been evaluated so far.

Innovative services and technologies:

DEWA has made exceptional achievements in compliance with government standards related to accessibility of People of Determination (POD) to its website and smart app. DEWA’s smart app scored 10/10 for the fourth consecutive year, and its website scored 100% for the third consecutive year, according to the 2023 POD Accessibility Evaluation Report by Digital Dubai Authority.

Empowering Employees of Determination

All of DEWA’s Employees of Determination received all their training needs, and 100% of the facilitations required for their actual needs in the work environment were met. 100% of DEWA’s inclusive human resources policies and procedures were reviewed and updated in line with local and international best practices.

DEWA worked to fulfil government requirements in inclusive education at DEWA Academy, including appointing a Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCO) and qualifying and licensing workers in this field.

Working with partners to enhance the inclusion and empowerment of People of Determination in society

DEWA has contributed to training several of its subsidiaries’ employees in dealing with People of Determination, in addition to organising awareness workshops for suppliers to motivate them in including and empowering People of Determination. DEWA implemented a communication plan with partners concerned with implementing community initiatives supporting people of determination in several areas, including community awareness campaigns, sponsorship of rehabilitation services, volunteer programmes, and sports activities.