Disabled Travelers in the Middle East: Wheelchair Accessible Dubai
Posted September 2nd, 2011 in access guides, Accessible Travel and Wheelchair Accessible Attractions
Sunset in Dubai
Photo by: Sususmu Suda (Stock Exchange
Welcome back to Disabled Travelers!
As promised, today we’ll be taking a closer look at wheelchair travel in Dubai, one of the biggest tourist capitals in the entire Middle East.
If you were here last time, you saw how we got the ball rolling with a Dubai travelogue from Apparelyzed that turned out to be a great introduction to the city.
Now we build on the fun with a little more information on disabled hotels, accessible attractions, and other points of interest for disabled travelers and their traveling companions.
One of the first things to know about Dubai is that it goes out of its way to greet international guests. Dubai International Airport has a stellar reputation for world class service and even has two luxury hotel locations on site. There is a huge amount of information on the website, all available in English, and the airport is only ten minutes from the city center – a huge difference compared to places like Heathrow and Gatwick! That said, I wasn’t able to find any specific information for disabled travelers on the site. The Map of DIA Terminal 1 omits any mention of accessible toilets or other amenities. Be sure to get in touch with your airline to discuss any assistance you may need.
AbilityTrip’s Accessible Dubai overview sheds some light on DIA (which does, it seem, have accessible bathrooms) and also gives some valuable pointers on the overall situation in the city. Large-sized taxis and taxi-minivans are prevalent, which allow safe storage of wheelchairs during rides. There’s also some insights on offer about disabled hotels, accessible attractions, and wheelchair rental, all provided by real travelers. Looking for more sources for high quality medical supplies? Click to Rolli-Mobil, a German company that operates extensively in Dubai and throughout the UAE.
Hotels are an important part of Dubai’s international image. Although not every hotel is accessible, disabled hotels are very common, and properties work hard to maintain a modern flair that caters to globetrotting guests. Visit Time Out Dubai’s disabled hotel listings and TripAdvisor’s wheelchair accessible Dubai vacation rentals. There are a lot of options, and English is widely spoken in the Dubai hospitality industry, so it’s easier than usual to make an informed decision on the right accommodations for you.
Roll On Travel is a wheelchair-friendly disabled tour operator that focuses on Thailand. No word on whether they’ll be visiting Dubai again soon, but as you can see from their great photos of Dubai from 2008, they’ve been around – and it looks like it was a doozy of a trip! This is a very high resolution gallery, so it might take a while to load, but it is worth it. There are also some photos from one of their signature Thailand trips.
That’s our Dubai coverage for now. Visit next week to see our first look at Spain!
Si
