Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) supports the design of the urban environment, and the people of Dubai, and the empowerment of People of Determination to become more productive and effective. This is done by providing its Customers and Employees of Determination with easy access to its services, buildings, and facilities, including its Customer Happiness Centres. DEWA upgraded all its buildings to be 100% compliant with the Dubai Universal Design Code in 2019. DEWA redesigned its Customer Happiness Centres to become easily accessible by People of Determination according to international standards, such as BSI8300, to provide a seamless and inclusive experience for them.

HE Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD & CEO of DEWA, said that DEWA’s pioneering experience in including and empowering People of Determination aligns with the National Policy to empower 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. It also supports 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 a city that is accessible for People of Determination. DEWA currently has 6,137 employees trained to deal with People of Determination and 22 employees have earned sign language diplomas. DEWA currently has 29 Employees of Determination with various disabilities. Their happiness score was 99% and their families’ happiness was 96% in 2020. Customers of Determination scored their happiness with DEWA’s inclusive services at 95% and society happiness towards DEWA’s support for People of Determination was 94% in 2020.

DEWA provides Customers and Employees of Determination with smart systems and supporting services to enable them to access information and different facilities inside DEWA’s buildings. These include:

Braille Maps

DEWA provides interactive maps with an audio notification to provide People of Determination with information and directions to reach their destinations inside DEWA’s buildings. The maps include Braille writing and embossed letters to make them easier to read. These maps are located in all DEWA’s building entrances.

Hearing Loops

DEWA uses hearing loop technology, which is an advanced hearing aid technology design to assist people with hearing disabilities. The hearing loops transmit sounds through electro-magnetic waves so sounds reach the user clearly and are noise-free. Those loops are available at all Customer Happiness Centres, training halls and meeting rooms at DEWA’s buildings.

Interactive online learning

DEWA provides its technical and design employees with an electronic automated training for Dubai Universal Design Code application and technical supervision which increases their technical and field experience. Also, DEWA launched an awareness and training programme on the Dubai Universal Design Code and its requirements to become a key component of DEWA’s new joiners’ agenda. This introduces them to the Code’s applications, the reason for adopting it at DEWA’s buildings, and the importance of abiding by its regulations in all facilities and buildings.

People of Determination friendly Customer Happiness Centres

DEWA redesigned all of its facilities and buildings to be People of Determination friendly in all emergencies by placing audio and visual alarms, alarms in toilets, and evacuation wheelchairs on all floors. DEWA also provides for People of Determination a helpline for them in parking areas, wheelchair service, directional tactile paving for the visually-impaired, staff trained in sign language, service priority, screens for remote video chat, booklets in Braille, and other services to streamline transactions by People of Determination.

DEWA has developed an innovative solution for Customers of Determination who use hearing aids or cochlear implants. They can use the telepresence system on video chat screens equipped with hearing loops that improve sound quality and filter out background noise. This enables easier access for them with Customer Happiness Employees. The new system improves the quality of sound to ensure seamless transactions by People of Determination with hearing impairments.

Smart Channels for People of Determination

DEWA is committed to providing seamless access to information for Customers of Determination through its website, smart app, and customer care centre, according to Smart Dubai Government standards.

DEWA also launched several innovative and smart initiatives that support and empower People of Determination and make it easier to access information. DEWA has a dedicated section on its website to include and empower People of Determination. DEWA provides a wide range of comprehensive services and facilities at its self-service Customer Happiness Centres; Future Customer Happiness Centres; Customer Care Centre; and its website and smart app.

DEWA’s website and smart app complies with the People of Determination Accessibility Evaluation Report by Smart Dubai 2020. The website accessibility measures include colour changes to suit colour-blind customers; the ability to increase font size to facilitate reading for people with visual impairment; text-to-speech; image description which enables customers with special needs to click on the image to get its details; and shortcut feature that reduces the size of readable materials and facilitates navigation between the pages. DEWA’s smart app supports most platforms and features the latest technologies available on handsets and smartphones.

DEWA provides many smart and inclusive services, such as the Ash’ir video service using sign language, for those with hearing disabilities, to communicate directly with its customer care centre. It also provides the Hayak written and visual communication service on its website and smart app to facilitate direct communication with Customer Care Centre around the clock.

Rammas is available around the clock to answer written or verbal customers enquiries in Arabic and English through DEWA’s smart app, website (www.dewa.gov.ae), Facebook page, Alexa, Google Home, robots, and DEWA’s account on WhatsApp Business (04 601 9999).

Supporting DEWA’s partners

In 2019, DEWA launched the ‘Inclusion of People of Determination Innovative Incubator’ initiative to encourage DEWA’s subsidiaries on the inclusion of People of Determination. DEWA also provided training and awareness programmes to suppliers and universities in the UAE to motivate them to implement the necessary requirements in including and empowering People of Determination.