Dubai Airports has announced a partnership with three influential figures in the field of empowering individuals with disabilities as part of its ongoing efforts to strengthen Dubai International Airport’s status as the world’s most inclusive destination.
The advisors, Jessica Smith—an accomplished Paralympic athlete and inclusion consultant—Fatima Al Jasem, an Emirati expert in the rights and empowerment of people with disabilities, and the community support organization “Angel Wolf,” will utilize their skills and experiences to identify potential gaps in the travel experience, challenge stereotypes, and collaboratively develop practical solutions to promote accessible travel.
This collaboration reflects Dubai Airports’ vision of integrating the life experiences and effective contributions of individuals with disabilities while improving the necessary infrastructure.
Majid Al Joker, Chief Operating Officer of Dubai Airports, stated, “True inclusivity is achieved when we embrace the perspectives of those with lived experiences. By focusing on the life experiences of our guests, we can shape a travel experience that supports our ambition of becoming the world’s most inclusive airport.”
Jessica Smith and Fatima Al Jasem, along with the Angel Wolf team, bring a wealth of personal and professional experiences to the initiative. Jessica Smith is a well-known consultant in the field of disability inclusion and a former Paralympic athlete who represented Australia at the 2004 Paralympic Games. Meanwhile, Fatima Al Jasem is a pioneering Emirati in the realm of disability rights and empowerment. The Angel Wolf family organization in Dubai is recognized for setting multiple world records in the Guinness World Records through inclusive sports activities.
This new collaboration marks a further step in Dubai Airports’ journey toward creating a more inclusive future for the aviation sector. As the first international airport in the world to receive the autism-friendly certification from the International Board of Credentialing and Continuing Education Standards (IBCCES), Dubai International Airport has trained over 53,000 employees on how to assist travelers with invisible challenges.
This initiative aligns with the airport’s pivotal role in realizing Dubai’s vision of becoming a friendly city for individuals with disabilities, a vision that received additional momentum this year as Dubai became the first approved autism destination in the eastern hemisphere.