SARA ALZAABI (ABU DHABI)
Exploring how museums can move beyond basic accessibility requirements to create more inclusive experiences, the Accessibility Conference 2026 brings together regional and international perspectives at Zayed National Museum.
Titled “From Barriers to Belonging – Accessibility in Museum Practices”, the three-day event running until November 5, focuses on sustainable, institution-wide approaches to accessibility, encouraging dialogue, collaboration and the exchange of practical experiences.
The conference runs from November 3 to 5, 2026.
Dr Peter Magee, Zayed National Museum Director, highlighted the importance of making museums more inclusive, ensuring that accessibility extends beyond physical spaces to meaningful participation and representation.
“Accessibility is fundamental to this responsibility. It is not simply about providing access to a building or adapting an experience,” he said.
Emphasising the importance of belonging, he added: “It is about creating a museum where everyone feels welcomed, represented and that they also feel that they belong.”
He explained that achieving this requires listening to the communities museums serve. “At Zayed National Museum we recognise that meaningful accessibility begins with the people whose experiences we seek to support.”
Pointing to practical progress, Dr Magee highlighted the museum’s efforts to include people of determination in its workforce. “An example is our Deaf Museum Experience Specialists, who became the first two certified Deaf tour guides through a collaboration with the Department of Culture and Tourism - Abu Dhabi and Zayed National Museum,” he said.
The specialists now lead tours in Emirati Sign Language, demonstrating how accessibility can become part of everyday museum operations.
Beyond Physical Access
Hessa Abdulrahman Tahlak, Assistant Undersecretary for the Empowerment of People of Determination and Senior Citizens, Ministry of Family, stressed the importance of ensuring that cultural institutions provide inclusive experiences for people of determination and their families.
“The UAE's approach to empowering people of determination stems from a fundamental principle: participation is an inherent right, and achieving it is a shared responsibility that requires the integration of policies, services, and institutional and community efforts,” she said.
Addressing accessible museum experiences, she explained that inclusion extends beyond physical access to ensuring visitors can engage independently with cultural exhibits.
“Accessible pathways, clear information, sign language, audio and tactile content, and quiet spaces are all elements that provide independence and reassurance,” she said.
She also emphasised that empowerment requires institutions to consider different needs when developing their programmes and services.
“Empowerment is not limited to providing services and facilities, but requires a change in how policies, programmes and environments are designed to accommodate diversity, respond to needs and give every individual a genuine opportunity to benefit, participate and contribute,” she said.
Highlighting the role of families in shaping inclusive policies, she added: “Involving families and people of determination themselves in formulating and developing policies and services is not an additional option, but a necessity to ensure that solutions are realistic, sustainable and connected to their actual needs.”
Equal Access to Cultural Experiences
Abdulla Abdulalee Al Humaidan, Director General, Zayed Authority for People of Determination, underscored the importance of collaboration between government entities and cultural institutions in improving accessibility and strengthening community inclusion.
“The Authority has collaborated with the Department of Culture and Tourism - Abu Dhabi in assessing more than 250 cultural, tourism and recreational facilities,” he said.
He explained that the Authority had contributed to making museum information more accessible to visitors with visual impairments by providing directional and informational signs in Braille.
He also emphasised the importance of equal access to cultural experiences.
“The right of people of determination to access museums, engage with their content and participate in cultural life is a natural extension of their right to education, employment and community participation,” he said.
Turning to employment opportunities, he highlighted the museum's certified Deaf tour guides, who conduct cultural tours and workshops in sign language.
“When training is combined with opportunity, the roles a person can perform expand, and society's expectations of their capabilities change,” he said.
Speaking to Aletihad, Fatma Aljassim, Accessibility Strategist at Zayed National Museum, highlighted the importance of collaboration, inclusion and empowering people of determination at the Accessibility Conference 2026.
“This conference focuses on accessibility in museums and centres the conversation among policymakers, professionals, people with experience, families and researchers,” she said.
She explained that the conference encourages dialogue between different groups, underscoring the role of policies and cultural institutions in creating accessible environments where everyone feels included.
Aljassim also highlighted the UAE's commitment to fostering inclusive communities and its role in advancing accessibility.
“We are privileged enough to have the UAE as a landmark of belonging and community,” she said.